Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow
by ASparkInACityofLights
Summary: When a metahuman known as Cupid is discovered in Central City and sets her target on a certain scarlet speedster, how will it affect his relationship with the two most important women in his life? Will he finally begin to discover feelings he never knew he harbored, or will he be fast enough to outrun the power of Cupid's arrow?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So this is my very first story** **, but I've been playing with this idea for a while. There seems to be a bit of a lull in the snowbarry fanfics recently, and with this months on end hiatus we are facing, I thought I would just throw this fic out there. Don't feel obliged to review if you don't want to because I won't withhold updates if there's not enough favorites or follows or anything like that(I would really appreciate it though!). You also won't have to worry about me not updating chapters for weeks or months (don't you hate that!) because I'm actually pretty far along in this story. Like I said, I've been slowly writing more and more for the past few months & wouldn't have posted it had there not been such a decrease in snowbarry stories (Im shy about my writing). I also tend to write pretty long chapters (like 2-3000 per) so if you don't like it...sorry. :) **

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Ch 1

When S.T.A.R Labs discovered their next metahuman, it was completely by accident. Barry was just leaving Jitters to head back to the precinct when he noticed a girl sitting in the corner of the cafe. This wasn't anything abnormal given it was a Tuesday and there were handfuls of people scattered around the place. But for some unknown reason, call it instinct, he felt like there was something different about her.

She was engrossed in watching a man and woman on the other side of the cafe and didn't even notice Barry studying her. He followed her gaze to the pair having a platonic conversation, nothing noteworthy about the two, and was confused. Why did she seem to be so interested in what they were doing? Her demeanor was akin to a lion watching its prey. Suddenly, she did something strange. Touching three fingers to her slightly puckered lips, the girl blew a kiss to her completely oblivious victims.

She then stood up with a satisfied smile and contentedly walked out of Jitters, barely even glancing at the puzzled Barry Allen standing in the middle of the cafe.

His eyes followed her as she rounded the corner, wondering if he should go after her. Deciding to wait and see what happens, Barry sits back down. Not even five seconds later, the couple surprises Barry by launching at each other, aggressively grabbing the other's face.

He rolls forward on the balls of his feet, ready to break the fight, when he gets an even bigger shock. They weren't fighting at all; they were kissing. Two strangers were engaging in a heavy make out session right in front of his eyes. Well, in front of everyone at Jitters. It was like a switch was flipped. One second they were conversing in an utterly platonic manner, the next they seemed

"Crazy about each other!" he exclaims to the S.T.A.R labs trio

"Barry, are you sure they weren't just a couple really into public displays of affection?" Caitlin asks with one eyebrow raised

"Or like..really bad at expressing their feelings. You know, without their tongues down each other's mouth" Cisco adds

Caitlin wrinkles her nose at his remark

"No, guys trust me" Barry assures "You didn't see what I saw in there. There's no way they would have done that- acted like that- without someone messing with their minds somehow. I mean, why would someone randomly blow a kiss to two strangers?" he pointed out, noticing their reluctance to believe he stumbled upon a metahuman during a coffee break. "And why would two people, who looked like they barely even knew each other, suddenly act like starving hitchhikers who found water? Like they can't get enough of one another."

"So..what? She's a metahuman that can make people…want to sleep with each other?" Cisco asks with a hint of amusement

Barry rolls his eyes "No no, something more complicated than that. I think she can make whoever she wants fall in love"

Caitlin tilts her head slightly. He always loves it when she does that.

"Like Cupid?"

"Yes! Exactly. Except I'm not sure if blowing kisses is the only way she can influence people"

"Hmm..a female Cupid…" Cisco says thoughtfully. Barry could already see the wheels turning in his head, thinking what nicknames she could be dubbed with.

"Well, Mr. Allen," a, up until now, quiet Dr. Wells begins "I would do a little more research into this girl before we confront her. If she turns out to be a normal person and we make ourselves known, that could be very bad for all of us. Find out how she uses her powers first"

"and if she can affect other aspects of human emotion such as anger and fear" Caitlin chimes in excitedly

Barry nods "Okay. Cisco, run the facial recognition software and see if you can find a match"

Cisco sits down at the computer desk. "I need to know her name to even pull up a face in the dataset and I am 100% sure that I am 0% certain where to even begin"

Barry looks at him with surprise "How did we find all the metas before?"

Caitlin looks up from her desk "Well usually they're all bad guys that make themselves known by terrorizing Central City" she starts typing on her tablet "and in her defense, it's not like she's out to take over the city or cause chaos"

Cisco smirks "You know, unless she's going for the 'All's fair in love and war' type of thing"

Barry plops down on the exam bed "How are we even going to find her then?"

"If you give me a description I can try and run facial recognition off the features and narrow it down. But that's still a LOT of people to go through" Cisco slumps in his chair, just exhausted by the thought of it

"Well at least it's a start." Barry offers "Okay, she has brown hair and -" he begins

"Short or long?" Cisco interrupts

He thinks "Long. Really long"

"Light or dark?" Caitlin questions

"Err..darkish. Actually, a little bit darker than yours, Cait"

He beams at her and she smiles back, trying to ignore the way her cheeks slightly blush at the simple comment

'Calm down Caitlin, anyone can point out your hair color' her self conscious mutters sarcastically.

'Yeah but they can't somehow turn it into a compliment like Barry' she argues with herself. 'Focus, Caitlin' she reminds herself. She promptly turns her attention back to the conversation at hand.

By this time Wells has wheeled himself out of the room, clearly having said all he wanted to on the matter. Where he went off to most days was still a mystery and a question in the back of everyone's mind. I mean, a guy in a wheelchair can only go _so_ far.

"Eye color?" Cisco notes

Barry scratches the back of his head "Lightish brown..ish?"

"How tall would you estimate?"

"Eh, 5'4..give or take"

"How old? Mid or late twenties? Maybe thirties?" Cisco guesses

Barry shakes his head "Not even. She was young. Probably 18. 19 at the oldest."

Caitlin and Cisco raise their eyebrows at him simultaneously "We've never encountered a metahuman that young yet.." Caitlin shifts uncomfortably, then starts walking towards him "Be careful when you go out there. Her powers might be stronger than the other metas because she got them before reaching full adulthood. And she may not be able to control them that well"

She stops in front of him and has that crease between her eyebrows.

Barry knew it well.

It was the same one he always saw when she was patching him up or when he was about to leave for another fight. Caitlin has always been a worrier and he couldn't- can't bring himself to admit how much he loved when it was over him.

Barry puts his hands on her shoulders and gives a small squeeze, mimicking her face

"You know Dr. Snow, I have this thing.." He lowers his voice to a whisper "a 'special ability' you could call it…" he breaks out into a playful smile "It's called healing fast"

She pushes him away and whacks his arm not so gently with the tablet in her hands.

Barry looks down at the red mark forming "Ow! That _hurt_ " he says accusingly.

Caitlin smiles in mock amusement "You heal fast, remember?"

Cisco observes their banter quietly. He knew Caitlin had feelings for Barry. He's worked with her for years and doesn't understand how she possibly thinks she can hide this obvious truth.

He saw how she was with Ronnie. Ronnie was the only person who drove her up the wall; he just knew how to push her buttons. But Ronnie also drew out other sides of Caitlin that have been all but nonexistent since his death. Smiling, playful, always worried for those she cared about.

Part of her will always belong to Ronnie. Not Firestorm Ronnie, the one who ran into the accelerator to save her and hasn't come out quite the same ever since. And as for Barry, Cisco knows how much he cares for Iris. He still talks about her quite often even though she is happy and in love with Eddie. He's seen the longing glances Barry gives her when they're in the same room. The 'what if's' that are probably running through the speedsters mind faster than even he can catch up with. Iris is the forbidden fruit.

On the flip side, Cisco also sees the way Barry looks at Caitlin. The sparkle in his eye she brings out even on his worst days, the way he stands a little taller when she is near, even the way he watches her as she concentrates; Barry likes Caitlin. She's the paradise he's trying so hard to find. If only he would _stop_ thinking happiness can only be with Iris, Barry could open his eyes and see that Caitlin is everything he's looking for and more.

Cisco sighs as Barry and Caitlin continue joking. They're both as stubborn as an ox and extremely in-denial. It would have to take a lot for both of them to finally realize the truth.

Rolling his eyes, he enters the description of female cupid into the database

"Okay. The recognition is scanning, but it could take a few hours-even days- for it to come up with the right match"

Caitlin becomes serious and resumes typing away on her tablet as she returns to her chair. Barry starts walking towards the lab entrance "Okay. I'm going to change. Let me know when we get a match"

Caitlin looks at the clock. It was 5:40 on a Tuesday. Tonight is his weekly dinner with Joe and Iris.

She sighs. It was his favorite day of the week and everyone knew why.

Cisco was barely even paying attention, absorbed in something on his computer screen "Later" he mumbles

"Bye" Caitlin mutters quietly, trying her best to seem uninterested.

Barry exits, then returns a moment later "Oh! Cait, can I ask you something?" he stops next to her desk and smiles at her almost shyly.

She whips around "Sure! What is it?"

Her mind is running a mile a minute 'Oh my gosh is he going to ask me to dinner with the West's? I don't have anything nice enough for a dinner like that. I mean, I know them but I obviously want to impress them, but all my dresses look like I'm about to attend a board meeting. Maybe they don't dress that nice for dinner. What do they even wear? Maybe I could wear that dress I got-'

He interrupts her train of thought

"Can you give me some advice on what kind of shirt to wear with those new pants I bought?"

*No not interrupts, more like crashes and burns her train of though*

Caitlin looks at him in surprise. He notices her expression and, assuming it's confusion, continues "You know, the ones you practically made me buy when we were at the mall last week? I kind of want to impress Iris by looking nice tonight. And since you were telling me how nice they looked, I thought Iris might like them too" he smiles at her expectantly.

'See that's what you get for getting ahead of yourself. He loves _Iris._ You're just his physician' her self conscious mocked.

She really hated that snarky little voice inside her head.

Noticing the hesitation on her face, Barry starts backtracking "I know it's stupid because she's with Eddie and everything but I just thought if I tried to make an impression- "

Caitlin plasters an enthusiastic smile on her face and interrupts "No, no. I think that's sweet of you. You should wear that navy button down you wore last week…and maybe a tie"

"You think it'll impress her?" he asks hopefully

Caitlin turns back towards her desk "Definitely" she forces through gritted teeth

He grins "Okay! Thanks, Cait. See you guys tomorrow" he says as he swiftly walks out, practically bouncing with excitement.

Once Caitlin knows for sure he has left, she lets out the breath she's been holding and leans back in her chair.

Cisco watches her from the corner of his eye and sighs.

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 **So there is Chapter 1. It's not my favorite chapter that I've written so far, but it is essential. If you don't like this story...stop reading? Haha and if you aren't a snowbarry fan...I legitimately do not understand why you are reading this. Seriously** **though. I tried to keep the characters true to themselves from the show, but I also wanted to delve a little deeper into their interactions off screen. Also, I sometimes take small snippets from scenes in the show to use but it won't ever be the entire dialogue, more like a central idea. Lastly, in this story no one knows that Harrison Wells is the Reverse Flash (they might learn later on, who knows) and Eddie is obviously not dead. Caitlin already knows about Firestorm and the whole Ronnie/Stein thing as well. Hope this story helps ease a little of the hiatus pain before season 2!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Loving the positive feedback guys! This story is definitely a "rip your hair out due to overwhelming frustration" kind of a thing. That's how it is for us snowbarry shippers watching the show. When it comes to realizing his feelings, Barry is slower than a freaking turtle. Oh yeah, I obviously don't own the Flash in any way and blah blah. I also solemnly swear that *puts hand on Bible and raises right hand* I will not randomly stop posting or leave you guys hanging without finishing the story. Nor will I disrespect any other ship, primarily WestAllen, just because I do not prefer certain characters together. I'm not going to turn Iris into some terrible person because I like Caitlin with Barry more. We've all got our personal preferences, so let's respect other people's choices! *Play "Why Can't We Be Friends" on repeat* :)**

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Ch 2

~Barry's POV~

The city around me was a blur as I raced to Joe's house. I was late. After ransacking my apartment looking for that stupid shirt (which was hanging in the closet the whole time- _who knew?_ ) I had to find the right tie to match which took at least 5 minutes. Having super speed doesn't always mean making a decision in the blink of an eye. I made it to the front door, fixed my hair as best I could and looked down at my watch. 12 minutes late, another typical day in the life of Barry Allen.

I walk inside to the smell of lasagna cooking in the oven. Good, I'm famished.

Iris looks up from the table she is currently setting "Right on time, Barry" she rolls her eyes and meets me halfway, pulling me in for a tight hug.

I smile at her as we pull away. She always makes me smile. I can't help it when I'm around her. I'm drawn to her gravity and being held captive in her clutches.

"That's me. Mr. Punctual" I retort, making a face at her. She smiles even wider and my heart starts pounding like a hammer. Maybe the best way to actually impress her would be showing up on time for once.

She looks down "You look snazzy, Bar" she compliments "new pants?"

Thank you, Caitlin.

"No, I just threw them on. It's nothing. Well, not nothing because I want to look nice for dinner with you- well you and Joe. Obviously…" I scratch the back of my head and hope she doesn't notice my face turning bright red. She doesn't.

"Aww, I've missed my awkward Barry!" she hugs me again briefly "With our work schedules and Eddie, it's been almost three weeks since we've hung out just the two of us." she frowns

She makes the exact same face as Caitlin when she does that- except she doesn't get that crease. It's still adorable nevertheless.

"Let's have lunch sometime this week" I automatically suggest "Just call me or stop by when you're on lunch break and we can catch up" I've been missing our conversations about random things that come into our heads.

"Yeah me too!"

Oops.. didn't realize I said that last part out loud.

She continues with a grin "Okay, I'll call you this week"

She walks to the table to finish setting the silverware while I flop down on the couch

"Barry!" Joe calls from the kitchen "Bud Light or Corona?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. It's not like either will do anything to me and we both know that.

But Iris doesn't.

"Either is fine Joe, thanks!" I yell back

The timer on the oven goes off just as the front doorbell rings. Iris squeals and rushes over to the door "Just in time!"

I turn around towards the door, confused. I didn't know Iris was expecting anyone else "Who's just in ti-" I stop as I see who Iris was waiting for.I mentally groan. Of course. Eddie.

* * *

"…and I mean, you can't be a good journalist without knowing what's going on at all times"

Iris was talking animatedly about…uh something.

I had zoned out after about five minutes and now have no clue what she's talking about. It's not my fault. The past hour and a half that I've been here, I got to spend only 4 minutes of it with Iris until Eddie showed up.

I know I'm being unreasonable but I just can't talk some sense into myself right now.

I glance over at Eddie who looks just about as lost as I feel, but is smiling nonetheless. I mentally roll my eyes. It would be so much easier to dislike him if he wasn't generally such a nice guy.

I look down as my phone vibrates, Caitlin's name in bold appearing on the screen.I smile.

We have been texting back and forth ever since I sent her a message about Eddie.

It went something like:

B: Eddie crashed our dinner..

C: Aw I'm sorry Barry. Did Iris at least notice your new pants?

B: Yeah, but not like I wanted her to

B: Wait, I didn't mean it like that!

C: It's okay I know what you meant

B: Any luck on the hunt for Cupid yet?

C: None. It's going to take a while before we get any results. Probably another day

B: Okay. Hopefully we'll find a match soon…So whatcha doing?

C: Umm I'm at home.. I'm eating dinner

B: Me too!

B: Well, I guess you already knew that…

B: Gotta go. The lasagna is ready

C: Ok. Have fun

*15 min later*

B: Eddie eats like a pig

C: Hmm..remind you of anyone?

B: I eat like that because I HAVE to! Or else my over-paranoid doctor will yell at me

C: Well, then detective pretty boy sure knows how to stay in shape with all the food he eats..

B:….What did you call him? 0_o

C: ..nothing.

B: Oh not you too! :(

C: what?

B: You think he's hot too! Like every other woman out there

C: Lol calm down psycho. I'm just saying he has good genes.

C: And I can say that because I'm a geneticist!

B: Yeah, uh huh sure -_-

C: Shouldn't you be socializing with your dinner pals?

B: You're right. See you tomorrow

C: Ok

*4 Min ago *

B: Iris is going on a rant. Hand gestures and all. This dinner is boring!

*Just Now*

I look down as my phone vibrates, Caitlin's name in bold appearing on the screen. I smile and open the message.

C: Man up! And if you need some help with that I can give you a Testosterone shot"

I almost spit out the mouthful of lasagna I'm chewing. She can be unexpectedly funny sometimes and it's a treat seeing that side of her.

I'm about to reply when I realize someone's calling my name. I look up

"Huh? Oh sorry Iris. What did you say?"

Everyone at the table looks at me curiously

"I was just asking who you were texting. You were smiling so wide I though your face was going to split in half" she smirks at me and crosses her arms "who's the lucky girl?"

My face starts heating up and I'm certain it's because they think I've met someone. Definitely _not_ because the thought of dating Caitlin runs across my mind.

"What-oh no I wasn't talking to a girl. Just Caitlin. Wait! I mean like Caitlin is a girl. But, she doesn't count because she's a doctor" my face is on fire as I try to correct myself

"Not that female doctors aren't real women. Because they are! But Caitlin's my woman- I mean doctor!….So we're just friends.." I finish quietly. I sink in my chair, willing the ground beneath my feet to give out and swallow me up.

They all exchange a look and in the corner of my eye I can see Joe suppressing a smile. Iris and Eddie, on the other hand, are flat out grinning.

I roll my eyes and try to ignore the knots forming in the pit of my stomach

"Ookay, Barry" Iris exaggerates, but her eyes are lit up and I know she's -incorrectly- thinking there's something more between Caitlin and me.

I think she wants there to be in order for her to feel better. Ever since I confessed how I felt about her, I know she's been feeling guilty because she doesn't love me the same way. It's not her fault she doesn't feel the same but, being Iris, will somehow find a way to feel like she did something wrong.

"That's good to know" Eddie chimes in "because Asher has been asking about her nonstop since the day she came into the precinct to drop off that sample analysis"

I despise him being here more than ever right about now.

Joe chuckles "I swear, the guy was head over heels for her before he even knew her name"

I involuntarily clench my teeth. Everyone at the precinct knows Asher. He works with the firearm specialists and is considered one of those 'hard to find' guys. You know, the strong but sensitive ones that collect art, volunteer at animal shelters, and treat girls like a million bucks. Not to mention the fact that

"He's so hot!" Iris exclaims. But after a quick glance at Eddie, adds "You know, for single girls not in a completely committed relationship" She pats his arm and beams up at him

Eddie jokingly rolls his eyes "Anyways, you should have her come in again, Barry. Asher would love to meet her and I bet they'll hit it off. Plus, it'll get him off my back about getting her number"

"Mine too" Joe grumbles

'No! No! _NO_!' my subconscious yells. The sudden flash of anger that courses through me when I think about anyone hitting _anything_ involving Caitlin (even in my mind that sounds wrong) is startling. It's such an unexpected and overwhelming response that I surprise even myself.

I take a breath and fake a sincere smile

"Yeah, I'll have her come in with me the next time she's free"

Or, maybe I'll accidentally forget to mention it to her until it's too late and Asher has moved on. Or everyone forgets about it. Whichever comes first.

I start reeling.

Why am I being so protective over Caitlin?

It has to be because of Asher. He _seems_ nice, but what if he breaks her heart? That has to be what's bugging me.

Caitlin is trying to move on from her not-so dead ex fiancé and the last thing she needs is another heartbreak. I'm just trying to look out for her. And if her being with Asher is making me feel this uneasy, it must be because he won't be any good for her.

Pshh..Women aren't the only people that have good intuition.

If I'm not there to look out for her, who else will? Besides, she would do the same for me.

It's what friends are for.

I head back to my apartment a while later with a full stomach and something in the back of my head repeating the phrase 'just friends', begging me to bring it to the forefront of my mind. I ignore it.

* * *

 **If you guys are frustrated with how in-denial Barry is now..just wait! haha what's a good story without some angst yeah? Thank You again for all the positivity! You guys are too sweet :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry guys if you saw me post the chapter a few minutes ago then remove it! I forgot to do a run-through to check any mistakes or errors :) Anyways, here is chapter 3! I've been reading your comments and you guys are sweethearts :) Cookies for everyone! To those of you who had questions:**

 **ArabianForest, I personally think having a new love interest for Barry would kind of take away from the relationships he has with Iris (who just lost Eddie, on top of that) and the one he's built with Caitlin. So I'm not really a fan of the new love interest, but the one with Linda was pretty short and it only helped to reinforce his feelings for Iris. So, hopefully this new love interest will be the same and hopefully Caitlin will be the one he turns to in the end! Either way, I trust the writers and they seem to understand the different aspects of Barry's relationships with Caitlin so I have faith they won't discredit that relationship :) Thanks for the question!**

 **snowbarry11, I left that part pretty open-ended just because it doesn't affect my storyline very much and it's honestly up to what you guys want. I pretty much just wanted to point out that Iris knows about Barry's feelings for her, but whether Caitlin came to his rescue with the whole lightning psychosis thing (hahaha) or not is completely up to what you guys drew from that! I like to leave little pockets in the story for you to fill with either the show's events or your own! I hope that makes sense haha it does to me but sometimes I can be speaking total gibberish :)**

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Ch 3

~Caitlin's POV~

It's been two days and we still haven't found the right match for Cupid.

I inwardly cringe at the name. It's not like I enjoy calling her that, but until we know her actual name, it's all we've got to go on.

We're just about to give up hope and leave the girl be when it happens:

I was getting frustrated.

We were working on Barry's multitasking skills by having him play different games with us at once and everyone thought it would be funny to make me play Operation.

It wasn't.

After the buzzer went off on me the third time, I was grumbling. This was the 11th time I was trying to get the stupid plastic horse out and the buzzer goes off again. Now I'm angry

"This game isn't even REMOTELY anatomically correct!" I almost yell, throwing the tweezers down

I feel the familiar gush of wind as Barry stops in front of me and gives a cheesy grin "That's not the point, Dr. Snow"

He takes out the plastic horse with ease, summoning no buzzer.

HOW!?

I scowl and try to fix my wind-blown hair "Then what _is_ the point?!"

"To have fun!" he exclaims while hitting the ping pong back and forth with Cisco

"Check mate" Dr Wells says triumphantly and leans back in his wheelchair

Barry looks surprised and races over to their chess table "What? But how-"

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

I get up automatically and start walking towards the computer. The facial recognition software has picked up a match. "Is this her?" I ask Barry

He's by my side in a second and I have to push my hair out of my face. I really should put it up more often.

"That's her! Cisco, can you run her face against the CCPD criminal database and see if we get a name?"

Cisco walks over and enters it in. "Nothing" he says with a frown. "She's squeaky clean. Our meta is a model citizen" he looks over at me "See where the street camera picked up her face. We can probably get a location and Barry can put a tracker on her"

"31st and Wade. This picture was taken 2 minutes ago. Look around that area and see if you can spot her."

"And remember, Barry," Dr Wells wheels over to us "We are simply gathering intel. Don't engage, just place the tracker on her and get back here"

Barry nods "So don't suit up?"

We all shake our heads

"Well, how am I supposed to talk to you guys when I'm out there without my earpiece?"

Cisco starts laughing "Like every other normal human being. It's called a cell phone dude"

Dr. Wells and I laugh at Barry's embarrassed face.

Well, I at least laugh. Dr Wells does more of a quiet chuckle, but since that's the closest anyone has ever seen him to laughing, I consider it the same thing.

I smile "Go Barry! And don't get too close to her. We still don't know how she wields her powers"

Barry looks down at me "Cait, I think I can handle it. I've done this before, remember? And with way more dangerous people. Like a 200 pound man of steel for example"

My smile automatically dissipates "Yeah, and I remember having to re-set almost every bone in your body!"

Cisco interrupts "Guys, you can continue this argument later. Cupid is already 5 minutes out"

Barry nods and is gone in a flash. I huff and turn back to my desk. It's so frustrating how selfless he can be.

He's selfishly selfless….if that paradox makes any sense. Barry puts his life on the line for everyone else without a second thought. Why doesn't he stop and think about how it would affect the people who care for him and want him safe!?

If something were to happen to him, it would devastate Henry and Joe and Iris.

'And you' my self conscious whispers.

I have to take a deep breath. Yes, I would be very sad. That's because he's my patient- I stop.

That doesn't sound like the right word.

Friend?- nope. These words sound too foreign. They don't roll off the tongue without a heavy weight burdening them.

Okay, he's become one of my closest friends-no, why does it still sound wrong?

My subconscious is yelling at me again, 'Say it!'

The words are bouncing around my mind.

Not a chance.

'You trust him; rely on him as more than a friend. Why deny it?'

Get off my case, I won't say it.

'Don't be proud, just admit it!'

 _Okay! Fine!_

Maybe he's become one of my best friends ever since he woke up and asked me why I don't smile.

'Better. Keep going'

I sigh and dig a little deeper.

Ever since he went with me to that pipeline for the first time since Ronnie and comforted me when I was vulnerable.

'And?'

And Ever since he held my hand in that closet when we were hiding from Blackout, because I was sure we were going to die in there.

Ever since he sang with me when I was drunk and held my hair while I puked. And ever since he was by my side when Ronnie came back as Firestorm only to leave me again shortly after.

'Why? Why is this so significant? You know. Face it like a grown up'

Because every single time Barry's been there for me, I never asked him to be. He just..was. And maybe that's why I feel safe when I'm in his arms and get butterflies when he smiles. It's definitely why I worry about him so much and help him pine after Iris even though it _kills_ me.

Because I want him to be happy, he deserves to be happy.

'When are you going to own up to it? That you've got it bad.'

A wave of shock and sadness runs through me as I finally admit to myself that I, Caitlin Snow, am in love with Barry Allen. These feelings are too strong for it to be just a crush.

My subconscious cheers and finally stops pestering me.

But now the sadness is setting in. Because this is bad.

The worst part, however, is not the fact that I can't tell him how I really feel or how I'll have to act like everything is normal despite my recent revelation.

No, the worst part, the part that makes me absolutely _miserable,_ is the fact that even if I do tell him how I feel: _it won't matter._ His heart belongs to someone else and he will _always_ choose her. I will never be good enough to compete with Iris. In his eyes, she will always win.

I'm fighting a losing battle. I will always come second, and there's _nothing_ I can do. _That_ is what kills me.

 _That_ is why I cannot tell him the truth. At least out loud, I can't say I'm in love.

My body moves on its own accord, abruptly standing up and walking towards the door

"Where are you going?" I hear Cisco call behind me

I pause for a moment, my mind struggling to catch up "I'll be right back. I just need…"

What? what do I need in the midst of this completely screwed up situation

"..some air" I mumble.

A glass of wine would be nice, but for now, some fresh air will have to do.

* * *

~Barry's POV~

I race through the city until I see the right street. Stopping in a nearby alleyway, I fix my clothes and step out onto the sidewalk. After a few glances at the people around me, I call Cisco

"Cisco I don't see her"

"Street camera picked her up on 26th Avenue 32 seconds ago. Get over there before we lose her again"

I walk around a nearby corner, make sure no one is around, and race to 26th.

I scan the pedestrians, looking for our metahuman. A movement on my left catches my eye and I just see a flash of brown hair before it disappears into a store at the end of the street. I walk in that direction at a humanly normal pace and quickly open the door she disappeared through, not even looking at what store it is.

I stop in surprise as I take in my surroundings. It isn't a store at all, it's an animal shelter.

I look around and see dogs of all shapes and sizes looking back at me from behind a glass. The walls are covered with plaques dedicated to generous sponsors and donators. I look at the small group of people scattered around the shelter and can't find the brown haired Cupid.

I start walking down a hallway that has even more dogs on display and dial Cisco's number.

Why would our metahuman lead us here? It doesn't make sense.

I continue walking and looking at the animals as I wait for him to pick up

"Did you find her?" I hear through the speaker

"Yeah, hi to you too" I mumble "No, I'm still looking. Are you sure you gave me the right street? Because I thought I saw her walk into a store but it turns out to be an animal shelter."

I flinch as a dog on the other side of the glass starts barking at me "I dunno Cisco I think we lost he- Aah!"

Just as I'm rounding the corner I bump into someone and jump in surprise, which in turn causes my phone to fall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention" I apologize as I bend down to pick up my phone. I look up to see who I hit and freeze.

It was definitely our metahuman.

"That's okay!" she smiles at me as I slowly stand up, then frowns slightly "though, I hope I didn't make you break your phone.."

I glance at her warily "Oh, uh…it should be fine. It's not the first time I've dropped it" I scratch the back of my head nervously.

 _Crap._ Wells is going to kill me for breaking his ONLY request. I'm terrible at spying, I didn't even last 2 minutes.

She grins at me and pulls out her phone "You see this?" she gestures to a spiderweb crack in one corner "I dropped it trying to put the phone case on. So much for that, right? And this," she points to a long jagged crack running down the middle of the screen "is from me accidentally stabbing it with a fork" She laughs at the expression on my face "It's a long story. Either way, my phone's pretty tough. It's even got the battle scars to prove it"

I chuckle hesitantly. She definitely seems nicer than 99% of the metas we've faced already. Hopefully that's a good sign.

She looks over at the dogs "So, is there a specific type of animal I can help you find today?"

I look at her in surprise "You work here?"

She grins "Well, yes and no. I volunteer here three times a week" She smiles fondly at the Labrador puppy behind the glass

"You must really love animals" I observe

"What can I say? I've got a soft spot for furry things" she looks up at me again "So mister, what do you say? You want to save a life today and bring home a new best friend?"

My eyes widen slightly and I don't know what to do. 5 minutes ago I was just trying to put a tracker on a possible metahuman and get out of here. Now I'm standing in an animal shelter with my POI who apparently works here and is trying to sell me a dog.

This has been a weird day..

I realize she's still awaiting my response and think of a way to not say yes but not also say no "I think I want to look around a bit before I make a decision" I make up

She smiles, nods and starts to walk away when I realize I still haven't put the tracker on her. Going undercover is definitely NOT my forte.

I think of something quick to keep her from walking away "Wait, do you have any recommendations?"

She turns back to me enthusiastically "Sure! Are you a first time pet owner?"

I nod, relieved I still have a chance to not completely screw up the task

"Okay. Any type of dog in mind?"

Of course not. Dog shopping was not on my agenda when I woke up this morning

I shrug "I'm not picky"

Her eyes light up "Great! Let me show you our newest additions to the shelter…"

After 10 minutes and being shown 6 different dogs, I was about to give up. Every time I would get close enough to clip the tracker on, she would move away to show me something else.

I was in the middle of pretending to be very interested in a little schnauzer puppy when she asked me if I wanted to play with it.

"We have rooms in the back where you can hold the animal and play with it. To see if you like it or not"

I nod "Uh..sure. I'd love to"

I really wouldn't but I have to find a way to get that tracker on her. It's way more difficult than it seems and this kid can't stand still for 10 seconds.

She starts walking down a corridor "Right this way, mister"

"You can call me Barry"

Since I already blew my cover it doesn't matter if she knows my name as well

She smiles mischievously "That's an interesting name. You definitely won't find it on a keychain or anything.."

I openly laugh at her remark

"Very true. What's your name?" Because I would like to stop calling you Cupid

"My name's Reese Hampton. Oh, and if you mention me at checkout, I get a free lunch. Just saying.." She responds as we continue down the corridor

I smile "I'll keep that in mind. So, you mean Reese like the peanut butter cups?"

She puts a hand to her mouth and smothers a laugh "Yeah, I guess so! Huh, I never thought of it like that.."

We arrive outside one of the rooms "Okay, you can go ahead and I'll bring the dog. The schnauzer, right?"

I nod "Uhm, yeah."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" She turns and dashes around the corner

I shake my head and walk into the room. She has just as much energy as the animals. A minute later she returns with the puppy in her arms

"Get ready. He hasn't been out much today so he'll be pretty hyper"

 _Fantastic._

I sit on the ground and prepare for the attack. Reese puts him down and the second she lets him go, all I see is a gray blur before I feel a wriggling little thing jump on me and lick my face. _All over._

I manage to get my hands around the little fur ball and hold him away from my face so I can get a good look at him

Reese smiles "He's cute, isn't he? Everyone loves the puppies and smaller dogs. They're usually the first to go"

I smile fondly at the schnauzer pup "My mom used to have a dog like this. When I was really young"

"They're great dogs. They'll be around for years. What kind of dog does she have now? Another schnauzer?"

I glance up at her "Uh, no. No, she doesn't have a dog anymore. She…passed away when I was a kid"

I look down and stroke the dog absentmindedly

Reese shifts uncomfortably for a moment, then sits down on her feet beside me "Hey, you want to know a secret?" she says quietly

I look at her and nod, unsure of what she's going to say

"My older sister. Her name was Rilee and she passed away almost a year and a half ago. It was a…challenging time for me. You know how you see or hear things and they just remind you of that person? Completely random things, too"

I nod again. I know exactly what she means. Even to this day, years after my mom's death, something completely random and unrelated will catch my eye or pop up in my mind and it's like that night all over again

She continues "Well, almost everything reminded me of Rilee and it was like salt being poured into a wound. I didn't know when it would get better. One day I found this place" she gestures around her "I was looking around and this stupid little Chihuahua was trying to get my attention. It kept rolling around and barked at me when I would try to walk away. It was _really annoying._ But for some reason it reminded me of Rilee and for the first time, I realized it didn't make me feel sad. Just the opposite, actually." She shakes her head "That stupid, yipping Chihuahua gave me hope for the first time since she died. So I asked the owner if they needed help and became a volunteer. Since then, every time I see a dog that brings back memories of her, I name it Rilee and give it more treats than the other dogs. I have like three different dogs here now that I spoil" she chuckles "I bet the other dogs are jealous".

I sit in stunned silence for a few moments. Guilt suddenly washes over me and I feel absolutely terrible for spying on her. Metahuman or not, she was just a girl trying to find hope in her life that her sister's death has snatched away.

The thought of locking her in the pipeline makes me sick to my stomach. I realize I need to talk to Dr Wells. There has to be something else we can do.

I look at her and smile with appreciation "Thank you. For sharing your secret with me"

She starts petting the puppy "I knew I could trust you. You have that same look in your eye. Of a person that's lost someone. And has felt even more lost since then"

I nudge her shoulder "Hey, us lost people have to look out for each other, don't we?"

She looks up at me and her lips shyly reach for the sky "Yes, we do"

I end up leaving with a promise to come back later in the week to choose a dog and a tracker still firmly in my pocket.

* * *

 **Okay, so are you guys happy Caitlin finally admitted her feelings? Even just to herself. Haha I don't know if you guys caught what I did there, but if you've seen Hercules, you'd understand ;) I'm so happy I'm finally able to start showing you guys the good stuff because i'm writing chapter 10 right now so I just want you guys to catch up so we can freak out over everything together! Haha and we're going to slip into this story like an ice bath. Just because Caitlin knows how she feels..well, that doesn't mean there's a light at the end of the tunnel.. But this chapter was a lot of fun to write, especially Caitlin's battle with her subconscious. Oh, and I completely welcome any random questions that have to do with just about anything! They don't have to be confined to the show! Like, I don't know if anyone here is a basketball fan, but I am obsessed over the Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson right now! ;) He is such a cutie! And have you guys seen all the Riley Curry videos? Isn't she just the cutest!? Haha anyways, let me know what you think, but no pressure or anything.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again for all the great comments and favorites :) It definitely puts a smile on my face! Here is the next chapter, but it's more of an essential plot progression. Nevertheless, I hope you like it.**

 **Okay and for the question-answering process:**

 **snnowfrostt - *Can I just say that I had a little jump up and down, full of excitement giddiness at reading your name on my reviews! You're one of the biggest SB shippers on twitter ever since I became a fan and I did a double take when I saw your name pop up on here :) Haha okay I'm done, sorry***

 **For season two I'm excited by the prospect of Barry going to alternate universes (because that's probably going to happen since he went in that wormhole) and seeing how everyone is in these different timelines (Killer Frost, possibly Hunter Zolomon). Since all of us here want the same ending, I really hope all this time traveling and new love interests will finally open Barry's eyes to see who and what he truly wants (Caitlin). But I think we can all agree that with Ronnie still in Caitlin's life, the chances of Barry and Caitlin ending up together are significantly low. Even though I love Ronnie and Caitlin, I think something will have to happen to Ronnie in order for Caitlin to A) Become killer frost B) Become heartbroken and in need of some saving or C) Realize that she loves Barry. And maybe I'm secretly hoping that all 3 happen ;) Thank you for the question!**

* * *

Ch 4

~Caitlin's POV~

I drum my fingers against the cold desktop and stew in my thoughts. Where is Barry?! It's been over two hours and he still hasn't returned.

Cisco is working on making the treadmill faster at the moment and could care less whether Barry shows up now or sometime next week. Dr Wells, on the other hand, is almost as antsy as I am. He is sitting beside me and, between the both of us, the silence in the room is loud enough to cast my thoughts over the edge.

After what seems like hours, I finally feel the familiar whoosh of air. I physically unwind, not realizing how taut my entire body has been until my skin tingles at the sensation.

Barry stops in the middle of the room and my eyes instantly scan over him, checking for injuries. No bruises, cuts or clues are visible to illustrate his delay, and now my anger is surfacing.

"What took you so long!?" I spit out. The relief that he is okay has made the anxiety building up inside me quickly morph into irritation.

" You didn't even call!" I further accuse.

Barry's remorseful expression only adds fuel to the fire as I continue my rant, annoyance dripping from every syllable "Cell phones are used for contacting other people and to tell them you're okay and not hurt- or _dead_ for all we know!"

Cisco, clearly ignoring my outburst, walks over to him and grins "Did you find out how she uses her powers?"

I throw up my hands and collapse in my chair. It really sucks being the only woman on the team.

Barry looks at no one in particular "Uh..no" he responds

He sits on the med bed and there's something noticeably off -well to me- about his behavior, but I can't quite pinpoint the source of the problem.

"Did you put the tracker on her?" Dr. Wells cuts in

Barry's face starts turning red as he rubs the back of his neck "Um, no..I forgot" he stammers

I glare daggers at him and cross my arms "Then what took you so long?"

He glances at me and shrinks under my penetrating stare.

It's a talent, what can I say?

"Well, I might have accidentally blown my cover" he admits

At our reactions, he quickly goes on "Cisco, Remember when I was on the phone with you and I said I couldn't find her?"

Cisco nods "Yeah and then you hung up a second after that" he glances over at me "Caitlin's been a nervous wreck ever since" he inputs

Barry looks at me apologetically for a moment before continuing "I didn't hang up on you, though. I dropped my phone because I ran headlong into her! Oh yeah, fun fact about Cupid," he sarcastically retorts "Her name is actually Reese Hampton and she's not crazy or evil or anything. She volunteers at the animal shelter 3 times a week; completely harmless"

Cisco rushes over to the computer and types in her name "Got it! Reese Hampton, age 18. She graduated last year from Central City High" he reads "Huh, that's weird.."

Dr. Wells' interest piques "What's weird?"

"It looks like she was accepted full-ride to Columbia University, Georgetown, Penn State, and even Princeton on a swimming scholarship. But it says here she never responded to any of the acceptance letters".

Dr. Well's shrugs nonchalantly and turns to Barry "Mr. Allen, I fail to see how this can help us discover how she uses her power in order to stop her"

Barry stands up "We don't _need_ to stop her, Dr Wells. She's not even dangerous. She's a good person, trust me."

"How do you _know?_ Some people are not who they seem to be" Dr. Wells shoots back

A small shiver unexplainably runs down my spine at the statement. For some reason, I can't help but wonder if he's referring to something- or someone else. I shake the thought out of my head quickly. That's ridiculous.

By now, Barry is getting frustrated "So what do you plan on doing? Locking her up in the pipeline?! For what? Making people fall in _love!?_ It's not right!" he exclaims

Dr. Wells meets his stare calmly "Barry, her powers are strong. They have a lot of potential. If she can make people fall in love, who's to say she can't make them hate each other just as easily? _That_ is what makes her dangerous. We must consider what she may do in the _future._ "

Barry crosses his arms " I thought the punishment came after the crime"

Dr. Wells exhales, clearly done with this discussion "We have to think of the greater good of the city. For now _and_ in the future. We need to figure out how she harnesses her power and find a way to _stop_ her. She is a potential threat and cannot be left alone to run loose in Central City!"

His voice has a tone of finality as he addresses all three of us "Once we find a way to stop her, she _will_ be put in a place where we can monitor her and keep her from influencing anyone else"

Barry shakes his head angrily "You mean the pipeline. You just want to lock her up for the rest of her life!"

Dr Wells speaks with an eerily quiet voice "Mr Allen, we have at least a dozen metahumans in the pipeline as we speak. So why does this particular metahuman suddenly make you so conscientious?" he raises an eyebrow "Besides, you were the one who was dead set on finding her. Why the change of heart _now?"_

Barry glances at Cisco and me, then sighs "You want to know why she volunteers at that animal shelter? Because the animals there give her hope. Hope that she hasn't had since her sister died over a year ago. She reminds me of myself" he confesses

"Saving people in this city and stopping metahumans give me hope that one day i'll find my mom's killer" he shrugs "Helping animals gives her hope that her life will one day get better".

Cisco and I look at each other, plagued with guilt. We all look at Dr. Wells, who seems to be thinking about something and doesn't appear to be remorseful in the slightest.

"What was her name? The sister." he finally says

Barry looks at him suspiciously "Rilee, why?"

Dr. Wells ignores him and turns to Cisco "Look through the obituary's from one year and five months ago for a Rilee Hampton. See if you can find a cause of death"

Cisco doesn't understand what he's looking for, but follows Dr. Wells' orders and starts searching.

Barry gives me a questioning look, a silent _What is he doing?_ I shrug. Dr. Wells can be extremely cryptic at times.

A beep makes us turn our attention to Cisco

"Rilee Hampton. Died one year, 5 months ago at the ago of 24" he recites "Report says she was at the wheel of her vehicle with a passenger…" he scrolls down "her younger sister" he continues "at the time of a car accident. Reese Hampton. Rilee was pronounced D.O.A by paramedics but Reese was rushed to Central City Memorial Hospital"

He continues looking through the file "So, something happened that night that caused Rilee to crash..oh! here it is." he announces "Okay, cause of death is..-"

He stops abruptly then looks up at us "Cause of death: a particle accelerator explosion, set off at S.T.A.R labs.."

It's silent for a moment before we hear Dr. Wells mumble "I knew it."

Barry looks at us with a pained expression "So, the explosion that gave her powers also killed her sister"

I feel numb as I walk over to the computer and take a good look at her. My throat swells as I study her face; she may be 18, almost 19, but she doesn't look older than 16. I sit down in my chair and keep my eyes downcast.

She had such a bright future and because of us, because of the work of our hands, it was ripped away. Even a year after the explosion, we're still facing the repercussions. For every hour I dedicated to the particle accelerator, it seems like 2 more people suffered the consequences.

Another beep goes off and I hear Cisco's voice hollowly call out to no one in particular "Street camera just picked her up on Tawson Blvd"

Dr. Wells looks at all three of us "Despite the information we have just received, she's still a threat"

He starts moving towards the exit and leaves us with a simple "You know what you have to do"

His words echo throughout the room and he's gone before any of us can say a word.

I look at Barry. He's sitting on the med bed and staring down at his feet. He doesn't make a notion to get up, so I stand and slowly walk over to him. My heels are the only thing to pierce the silence settling in the room

"Barry?" I ask as I approach his slouched figure. He doesn't respond.

I stop in front of him and he shoots a glance at me "I can't do it Caitlin," he says with defeat "I can't put her in that pipeline. It would feel so…wrong"

I sigh and sit down next to him, our shoulders brushing

"I know. I would feel horrible too," I run my hand through my hair. It was a habit I tended to perform when faced with a particularly difficult situation

"We just need to find a way to… _prove_ to Dr. Wells that she isn't dangerous"

We sit in solemn silence for another minute until an idea emerges and I turn my body towards Barry "Maybe the Flash could talk to her" he furrows his eyebrows in confusion and I press on "You know, see if she'll tell him about her powers and who she uses them on! Then, maybe you could convince her to stop!

Or at least to let us run some tests on her to analyze and find a weakness. Discover her limits"

I begin to smile "It would ease Dr. Well's mind. Then she wouldn't have to be put in the pipeline" I conclude

He studies me, weighing my words "You think that'll work?" he asks with a shred of hope

The corners of my mouth turn up slightly "Well, it couldn't hurt. She already knows Barry Allen. I think it's time she meet the Flash"

His eyes sparkle with amusement and my pulse quickens

"Cait, I don't know what I would do without you"

I snort, "Probably have to find another doctor to put up with all your suicide heroics and bullcrap"

He laughs and stands, pulling me up with him "I think it would be safe to say then that I would be doctorless"

I try to ignore the pressure of his hand holding on to my arm

"Probably" I smirk

* * *

 **Okay so there is Chapter 4. I might post the next chapter on Sunday or Monday just because this one was a little shorter than the normal length and so is chapter 5. We'll see what happens :) Oh yeah, tell me what you guys think of Reese so far because she's going to appear more in the next few chapters. Just a little foreshadowing! Thanks again for all the great comments**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, like I promised, here is Chapter 5! Unfortunately, there is no Snowbarry in this chapter which is part of the reason why I released it so early. But this chapter fills in the gaps about Reese, her ability and her background. Oh and the rest of the chapters from here on out are a lot longer! So look forward to that :)**

 **And for the Q &A: (or I guess just A because you guys asked the Q..) **

**Raquel- Your comment made me laugh! Especially your little dialogue; The thought of taking Caitlin with him to the animal shelter and getting a dog and all that actually ran through my mind when I was writing this chapter, but I decided not to do it just because someone else already did. I think it was "A very Snowbarry Christmas" where that happened (I definitely recommend reading btw) and I wanted to put my own spin on it! But I think what I ended up doing will definitely be up to par :) Can't wait for you guys to get to that part!**

 **snnowfrostt- Actually,no, unfortunately Rilee really is dead. Haha when I read your comment I frantically went back to ch 4 to see if I accidentally wrote that she was somehow still alive or there was something that would hint at that! But no, Rilee was pronounced D.O.A the night the particle accelerator exploded. As you'll read in this chapter, Reese is alive because Rilee sacrificed herself. As for the DP panel, I actually didn't even know it was going on until it was too late :( Stupid work and school! Haha thanks for the question!**

* * *

Ch 5

She was sitting on a bench, studying her person of interest when suddenly she felt herself being lifted. She froze and watched the world race by in a blur.

 _What the ?_

Getting dizzy, she squeezed her eyes shut until she finally felt everything around her stop.

Cautiously, she opens one eye. She was on a rooftop. With both eyes popping open in surprise, she whips her head around to see her captor.

Taking in an eyeful of red from head to toe, Reese realized she was being kidnapped.

By the Flash of all people.

Giving an earsplitting scream, she thrashes in Barry's arms, trying desperately to escape

"Shh, it's okay. No one can hear you"

Her eyes widen to the size of saucers and he remembers that she doesn't know him. Or, the Flash at least.

She shrieks even louder and tries kicking her way out of his grasp

Barry tries again "Reese! It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you"

She freezes and looks at him over her shoulder "How do you know my name?!"

Barry smiles at her "I've been keeping an eye on you"

He meant for it to come out reassuringly, but realizes too late that he probably made matters worse, especially since he was using his disguised voice.

Reese doubles her attempts at freeing herself as tears start running down her face

"What do you want with me!?" she starts clawing at his arms

He uses his free arm to pin hers against her side

"Please, calm down"

She continues kicking with everything she has

"Reese! I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to talk" he explains

"Then put me down!" she yells

"Do you promise not to try and run until you hear me out?"

She starts breathing heavily, exhausted by the futile attempts to escape "Where am I going to run? We're on top of a _building!_ " she gestures around them with her chin

Barry sets her down carefully and the second her feet hit the ground, she turns around so they're face to face

She backs up "You're the Flash," she begins.

Tripping over something behind her, she falls on her butt "what do you want with me?"

Barry wishes he could take off his mask so she would realize that she knew him.

He slowly kneels down a few feet away from her "I am, and I'm not here to hurt you. I just have a few questions.."

Reese eyes him warily, not ruling out the possibility that he could still try to hurt her "what kind of questions?"

"About your ability" he says in a knowing voice

Her eyes widen "How do you know about that?" she asks quietly

Barry gestures to himself "Because, the same thing that happened to you also happened to me"

An unreadable expression crosses her face.

She looks him up and down, finally relaxing "…how did you get your powers?"

"I was struck by lightning the night the particle accelerator blew. I was in a coma for 9 months. When I woke up, I was this"

He gives her a small smile "And you got yours that same night didn't you? The night you got in a car accident" he says softly

Reese looks at him and new tears start forming in her eyes. She nods "I didn't know what happened. I was just going home with my sister that night. I saw the explosion from the rearview mirror" her voice starts shaking "When I turned to tell Rilee, she abandoned the wheel and jumped on top of me. She was trying to shield me from whatever it was that came out of that explosion.."

Reese puts her face in her hands "Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital and being told that I no longer have a sister. An orphan in a matter of minutes."

Barry's voice is filled with sympathy "I know what it's like to lose someone so close to you," he sighs "It makes you feel so hurt, so…"

"Lost" she finishes hollowly

After a beat, Reese looks up at him and gives an understanding smile "But us lost people have to look out for each other, don't we Barry?"

He looks at her, completely dumbfounded "What- How did you know?"

She chuckles, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve "My 'power'. I can sense when someone needs help finding love or falling in love. I get an image of the person they belong with and from there it's up to me"

Barry gapes at her

"But I can only help people who have already met their true love" she points out "When I met you earlier at the shelter, my 'power' kicked in. The girl that came into my mind is the same one I see when I look at you now."

She shrugs "I didn't realize it was you until you started talking about your coma. Then it surfaced all of a sudden"

Barry's face depicts nothing short of amazement

"So, you can actually _see_ the girl I'm going to fall in love with and marry and live the rest of my life with?" he asks, voice running a mile a minute

Reese chuckles "Whoa, whoa not exactly the girl you're going to fall in love with. But I can see the girl who _is_ your true love. I can't see the endgame, so to speak. And it doesn't work if a couple used to be in love and fell out of it. I can't make people fall in love again."

Barry leans forward enthusiastically "But if you're able to see her, or sense her or whatever, then that means I've already _met_ my true love, right?"

She nods "But nothing is ever set in stone, you know. So, if you choose not to go after this girl, it doesn't mean you won't find happiness with someone else"

Barry rests his chin on his hand "Who _is_ she?"

Reese shakes her head "Sorry, I can't tell you. If I do, it would ruin your potential relationship"

He frowns slightly "That's okay…" he suddenly brightens "But I think I know who she is already. I'm sure it's the same girl"

"You'd be surprised" Reese mumbles to herself

"So, how do you use your ability? Because I saw you blow a kiss to a couple at Jitters a week or so ago. Then they pretty much attacked each other. Was that because of your power?"

She laughs "Kind of. Those particular two people I was 'setting up' you could say, had liked each other for months on end. Neither of them could admit it. The more they tried to fight it, the stronger the attraction became. My power becomes stronger the more someone fights it until they finally accept it. What you saw in there was a lot of built up attraction finally being released"

Sensing his next question, she beats him to it "And no, the blowing kisses thing, that's not the only way I can use my power. I can also outline a heart over someone's chest if it's particularly difficult for them to open their eyes and notice their true love. If they fight it, the attraction will only grow until they finally release it and face their feelings"

Barry nods thoughtfully "So, I have this team of people. Well, there's only three of them, but they're scientists and they've helped me tremendously since the coma. Do you mind if I take you with me so they can run a few tests on you?"

Reese picks at her thumbnail, unsure "What are the tests for?" she asks quietly

"Just to see what makes you unique. They won't turn you into a lab rat, I promise. Without them, I wouldn't be nearly as fast as I am today"

She debates his words for a moment, then starts to stand "Okay. Lead the way"

* * *

 **There is so much snowbarry in the next few chapters you guys will explode! Thank you again for reading this and giving such positive feedback! There's nothing I love more than seeing the number of favorites and follows increase with every chapter :) Feel free to leave a comment or ask any random question, but like I said, no pressure!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hola chicos, chicas and perros. Here is chapter 6 and I think you guys will like it just as much as I do! It's so funny reading your comments and seeing how emotionally invested you guys are into this story! I thought it was just me! And happy Fourth of July everyone! :) I hope everyone has a good weekend and sets off lots of illegal fireworks! (shhhh..)**

 **Okay and for the A part of the Q &A**

 **Raquel- Thank you for the support! And you'll just have to find ouuutttt ;) But I think you guys will like where I'm headed with this! Haha lots of frustration.. and then some other stuff ;) Haha i'm being cryptic I know!**

 **snnowfrostt- Haha I love your predictions! They're usually on point too :) I've never seen "love, Rosie" before but I'll definitely have to watch it sometime! Believe it or not, I never really have been into romance movies or books! Until Snowbarry. Haha maybe that's why I don't make my story too mushy! I like to put some fire into their personalities ;) And yeah, Barry is so clueless. In my story and in the show :( Haha I just write my** **frustrations of the show into a story and make you guys read it. It's my way of releasing pent up aggravation haha :D**

 **ArabianForest- That's so weird! But yes, I do receive your reviews and I love them! Thanks for the support :)**

 **SarahW- You'll like this chapter too then! You're totally right, I should put Cisco in the central storyline a bit more. That's definitely on my list for the chapter I'm currently writing! Thank You :) and thanks for the support!**

* * *

Ch 6

"Don't touch it" Caitlin scolds

Reese was laying on the med bed, picking at the IV in her arm

She frowns and puts her hand behind her head "What's this for, anyways?"

"To see how your cells operate, regenerate, and interact"

"Basically to see what makes you different from non-metahumans." Cisco says simply

Reese looks over at Barry, who is sitting next to Cisco at the computer desk "What's a monster human?"

He smiles " _meta_ human. They're us. People who have special abilities that normal people don't possess"

She looks around the room "So how many of these metapeople have you met. Other than me"

"Too many" Caitlin grumbles

"Hey!" she swats Reese's hand away from the needle site "Stop it!" she scolds again, fixing Reese with a firm stare

Reese grins semi-apologetically and moves her hand once again

"So, where are they? Do they work here too?"

The S.T.A.R labs trio share a hesitant glance

"They're…detained" Cisco says slowly

"Why?" she asks curiously

Barry weighs his words carefully "All the metas we've found so far have used their abilities to hurt others. They were bad people that needed to be stopped, not supported"

Reese nods understandingly "So where did you put them once they were stopped?"

"In a pipeline specialized for each metahuman's specific ability"

The S.T.A.R labs trio freeze at the silky smooth voice behind them

Dr. Wells comes into the lab, a steely expression on his face

Barry, Caitlin and Cisco simultaneously hold their breath as he stops a few feet short of their Cupid. He crosses his arms, studying her.

Reese sits up a little more and fixes her gaze on Dr. Wells, oblivious to the tension in the room "Hi…How's your day going? Dr. Wells I presume"

He gives her a slight nod "Yes, and I am doing quite well, thank you" he replies, the tome of his voice suggesting anything but.

She slightly purses her lips

"Umm, are you sure about that?"

Dr. Wells stares unblinking "Positive. I'm great" he replies in a clipped tone

By now Reese has picked up on the tension in the air and tries to disband it by giving an uncomfortable laugh

"Well, I bet not that great with the whole paraplegic thing.." her eyes widen as she tries to make up for her unfiltered comment "which has nothing to do with your obvious grumpy mood!"

At this point, Cisco's mouth is gaping like a fish, Barry has adopted a pained expression usually associated with migraines, and Caitlin literally has her hand pressed against her forehead; a complete face palm.

Reese opens and closes her mouth, face on fire, before quietly saying "Uhmm, I'm Reese by the way…"

Dr. Wells blinks at her for a few moments

"Charming." he deadpans, immediately turning to Cisco, Caitlin and Barry

"May I see you three in _private_?"

He leaves the room without another word. After sharing a fearful glance, the trio follow behind nervously

* * *

"What is she doing here?" he demands once they reach the hallway

"More specifically, why is she not in the pipeline with the rest of the metahumans?"

Caitlin is the first to speak, feigning confidence. She's usually excellent at holding her own, especially when it comes to her research, but Dr. Wells intimidates her more than she would like to let on

"I'm running tests," she stands a little taller "We barely know anything about her ability. We still don't know how it's harnessed, how long it lasts on those affected, not even the boundaries of her limits. We've never met a metahuman that hasn't reached full adulthood when inheriting their powers. In turn, her ability could potentially be weaker or significantly stronger than the others. Either way, she's allowing us to run tests to find out"

Barry nods with her "And she came here willingly. I know you don't want her loose in Central City, so this is the best place for her to be right now until we learn more about her. Besides, just look at her. She's definitely not a threat."

Dr. Wells squints hard between Barry and Caitlin, much like a parent who has to explain to two stubborn kids why he is right

Cisco senses his opposition and tries to aid his friends "Plus, I was going to test her brainwave frequencies with the QEEG. I'm dying to see how many Hertz her brain widths average out at" he admits

Dr. Wells slowly removes his glasses, eyes finally lit up with a spark of curiosity "From there, we could use neurofeedback to help train her to control her ability. Theoretically speaking, after enough practice her neuroplasticity will become stronger and controlling her abilities will be easier"

"Exactly!" Cisco and Caitlin say simultaneously, both relieved from having been spared the blunt of Dr. Wells' anger.

Barry looks at them,confused by their excitement

"Wait, is that even possible? Controlling one part of your brain like that"

Dr. Wells rubs his glasses against the hem of his shirt before putting them back on

"Of course. Neurofeedback is often used to help children with ADHD focus better and for longer periods of time. It's a training mechanism. Just like running on the treadmill helps you maintain your speed, neurofeedback can help Reese keep her…whatever it is she can do under control"

Barry raises an eyebrow "So that means…?" he prompts

Dr. Wells' mouth twitches, a spasm of a smile briefly appearing "That means she won't have to go in the pipeline"

They all smile at his admission

Caitlin gives Barry an 'I told you so' kind of look to which he sarcastically rolls his eyes and playfully nudges her arm

Making their way back to lab, Caitlin begins to speak as they round the corner

"Alright, Reese, how about Chinese food for lunch-" she abruptly stops as she lays her eyes on the young meta

Reese looks up from the med bed with a sheepish smile, a stream of blood making its way down her arm where it collects in a small pool on the white tile floor.

"Uhm, remember when you told me not to touch the IV..?"

Everyone, excluding Caitlin, wished they could have captured the doctor's expression on camera. It was, to say the least, priceless

* * *

"No, no….Come on!"

After spending a good 45 minutes using antiseptic to sanitize the lab from an O negative mess, Caitlin was finally able to test the sample retrieved from Reese's blood. Only now the centrifuge machine has decided to malfunction.

"You've got to be kidding me" she grumbles

"What's wrong?" a sudden voice behind her asks

Caitlin jumps and turns around quickly "Barry! Don't sneak up on me like that"

He grins "Well, it's not like it's very difficult. Especially when you're concentrating"

She shrugs and turns her attention back to the current dilemma "The stupid centrifuge. It won't work! Out of all the days, too"

Hearing their conversation from the other room, Cisco pipes up

"Doesn't the precinct have a centrifuge, Barry? Maybe Caitlin can use that one"

She brightens and turns to the scarlet speedster "Would they let me?"

He rolls his eyes. Like she even had to ask. "Of course! You've been there before and have even helped us solve some pretty tough cases. Everyone at the precinct loves you…"

Barry's face falls as he realizes something

 _Asher!_

Crap, he's supposed to introduce them next time she stops by

Noticing the change in expression, Caitlin impulsively places her hand on his arm

"What's wrong?"

He meets her eyes, the pressure of her hand invading his thoughts, anchoring him to her caramel-colored gaze

"Nothing…I was just thinking I could do it for you. So you don't have to go all the way over there" he says, trailing off

Her eyebrows crease slightly. She knew Barry was trying to avoid the question; he's a terrible liar and it's cute he thinks she can't tell the difference

Deciding to play along, she addresses the statement at hand "That's so thoughtful, but something tells me it will only take a minute to get there" she assures

He frowns "Really, Cait. I don't mind. Plus, there's some stuff I have to catch up on. It will be boring"

Nevertheless, the more determined Barry was to keep her at the lab, the more determined Caitlin was to go.

"Even better! After I finish the sample I can pick us up Thai food from that restaurant you love across the street. We can eat while you finish up your work"

Her false enthusiasm was on point.

Barry looks at her with surprise "You would do that?"

She beams "Of course. Someone has to look out for you. Be the hero's hero"

Barry feels his chest constrict at her words and an unexplainable, though not unwelcome, knot forms in his stomach. He knew Caitlin was a vital part of the team. He's voiced this information on several occasions so she wouldn't forget how much she meant- how much she means- to the Flash.

But he's never pondered over the level of significance she's had on Barry Allen.

Until now.

Her quiet, yet alluring presence is often easy to forget; never really acknowledged, but subconsciously comforting. He gulps and paints a picture with words

"Caitlin, you're a hero to the Flash and Barry Allen. I can't do any of this without you. Without your support and unwavering belief in me. You do more than save the day. You're the wind beneath my wings"

The statement is so surprising and so endearing that for a moment all Caitlin can do is look at him. Apart from Ronnie, she's never really felt important.

Sure, she was imperative to Dr. Wells and the team that built the particle accelerator. But it was her intelligence that was essential.

And here was Barry, with the sincerest expression on his face, telling her that it wasn't geneticist and bioengineer genius Caitlin Snow he valued.

Not even Caitlin Snow, M.D..

It was _just_ Caitlin whom he found invaluable.

She doesn't know what to say. Even thinking of him caring for her as more than a friend is treading in treacherous waters.

He loves _Iris_ \- for crying out loud he broke up with Linda just because he thought Iris might like him back!

She can't even _consider_ the possibility of him actually liking her. She doesn't want to turn into another Linda.

No, she's still trying to put her heart back together. If she gives it to Barry with him still harboring feelings for Iris, it will always be in danger of shattering beyond repair.

She _can't_ go through that again. No man is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history.

Been there, done that.

No no, she's already diagnosed him as a deadly disease; is already experiencing the symptoms of his charm. She's in the process of putting her heart in quarantine until she is rid of the disease.

If only he didn't make it so difficult..

Remembering that they are still in the lab and he is waiting for a response, she vies for something to subtly push the conversation back towards the platonic side. It's been almost too easy to blur the lines recently.

"Wouldn't it be something more along the lines of 'the shoes under your feet'?" she playfully questions

His laugh echoes through the lab and, as if he physically couldn't help it, pulls her in for a hug.

She hugs back briefly before untangling herself from his hold and taking a small step back

A flash of disappointment arises in him, but is gone as quick as it appeared, leaving Barry to wonder if it was even there in the first place. Caitlin interrupts his thoughts

"So, are you ready to go?" she inquires

He plasters a smile on his face and looks down at the brunette

"Whenever you are"

* * *

 **So bada bing bada boom. Chapter 6, done. I still haven't finished writing chapter 10, but I promise I won't make you guys wait weeks and weeks if you catch up! Oh yeah, I also threw in another Hercules quote because I just couldn't help it ;) I honestly can't wait for you guys to read the next chapters, so I'll probably post the next one like Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm going out of town next wednesday night through sunday so I want to give you guys ch 7 before I go! Anyways, leave a review if you wanna chat!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's ch 7 guys!**

 **Quick question: does anyone know where I got the title of my story from? It's from a song, but I was just wondering if you knew which one.**

 **Okay, just a warning, this chapter is like really long. I know you won't mind, but it's double what my chapters usually are so I tried to evenly split it up in order to make it easier to read :) I am absolutely loving all the reviews and follows and favs! Thank you guys so much for taking time out to read whatever crazy ideas come into my mind!**

 **And for the A part of our Q &A (you guys are hilarious btw)**

 **ArabianForest- Aww thank you! I hope your Fourth of July went well also**

 **Airsay- Thanks so much for the positive feedback! It's good to hear that you all think I'm doing these characters justice!**

 **Raquel- I actually stole a few lyrics from the song "Can't Say I'm in Love" from Hercules! It was stuck in my head and writing it was kind of an outlet to get it out of my mind! haha I really hope you do laugh because I definitely did ;) Haha I totally get it! I am such a spazz and I get excited so easily and just go on and on (like right now...) haha I love your reviews! Your funny :)**

 **snnowfrostt- Haha yeah I love big sister/mother/wife Caitlin. She's such a badass. Lol "Snowbarisco"! Ughh you're so lucky! haha I want to catch up on all these movies but I'm taking summer classes and working in the afternoons :( it really puts a damper on my summer vacation. Yeah, I could definitely incorporate Caitlin singing. But since I'm working on a later chapter, it might be a little while before you're able to read it! And i'll definitely make sure she still can't sing because, well, neither can I and it makes her more personable! Haha ;) Thank you for the support!**

* * *

Chapter 7

~Caitlin's POV~

"Barry, is everything alright?" I ask

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be" he immediately responds

I quirk my eyebrow at him

"Because we're here…and you haven't put me down yet"

Breaking out of his trance, he looks down as if just now noticing I am still locked tightly in his arms

"Not to mention the fact that you've been staring at the building like a little kid about to walk into a haunted house" I add

Barry instantly sets me down on my feet and takes a small step back

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just…thinking about the things I need to work on"

Jeez, he's as bad at lying as I am at singing.

A quiet sigh escapes my lips and I wish he could just tell me what's going on.

I won't judge him; he knows that and he is usually so open about coming to me for advice on everything.

If I'm being completely honest, I take a small amount of pleasure in being Barry's confidant; knowing my input is something he places in high esteem.

That's why it's a tad bit frustrating that he feels the need to lie to my face instead of telling me what's on his mind

'Almost as frustrating as you not being able to tell him what's on _your_ mind'

I honestly wish I could perform a lobotomy on myself during times like these

Shaking it off, I start walking towards the precinct, Barry following behind hesitantly.

* * *

The doors to the elevator open and I step out, taking in the flurry of activity unfolding before my eyes.

The CCPD is always busy, regardless of the time or day. Crime and chaos tend not to be very considerate towards minuscule occasions like holidays or the untimely hour of the day.

I scan the precinct full of detectives, cops, analysts and search for a familiar face

"Dr Snow!"

I turn my head as Captain Singh approaches me with a rare smile

"Nice to see you drop by. I was beginning to wonder when we'd see your face around here again" he says, referring to the times I used to drop by and help Barry or assist on cases that fall in my area of expertise.

I greet him with a smile and shake his outstretched hand with firm professionalism

"Hi, Captain Singh. It's nice to see you again"

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

I shake my head "No not today," I turn my head slightly as Barry materializes beside me and gently places his hand on my lower back, the heat of his palm seeping through my dress and sending a small shiver down my spine "I'm just here to help Barry with a few things"

Captain Singh's smile erases and the familiar stony expression returns as he glances at Barry and I try to stifle a small giggle

"Well, then. I'm sure with your help Barry will actually finish his work _on time_ " he emphasizes

I can almost feel Barry resisting the urge to roll his eyes

I throw a sideways glance at him, a silent warning not to do or say anything stupid, and address Captain Singh

"Of course. We'll get right on it"

The captain smiles at me once again "Okay, and if you ever need our help with anything over at S.T.A.R labs, don't hesitate to ask. We owe you a favor after you're help in stopping that psycho with the cold gun"

I thank him and begin walking as I feel the pressure of Barry's hand guiding me towards the stairs

"I don't understand why you always complain about Captain Singh" I say to him as he continues pushing me towards his lab

"He's a sweetheart" I say playfully, knowing full well he is about as sweet as black coffee

Barry looks down at me and frowns "Singh is _not_ sweet. He's always finding something to yell at me for"

I chuckle "Do the majority of those tirades have to do with your being late?"

He gives a sheepish grin "More or less" he shrugs

We're almost to the staircase when I hear Eddie's familiar voice over the buzz of people around us

"Hey! Caitlin!"

I abruptly stop

Ignoring the incessant pressure of Barry's hand trying to push me up the stairs, I walk to Eddie, meeting him halfway for a hug

"Hi, Eddie" I mumble into his shoulder "how have you been?"

He lets go and looks down at me with those sparkling blue eyes

He really is a beautiful specimen.

"Good! I didn't expect you two to be here" he says with a knowing timbre

"I work here too, Eddie" Barry says, eyeing him with a hint of warning

Eddie just gives Barry a mischievous grin and I glance between the two.

Obviously I'm missing out on something here.

I disregard it for the moment and hold up my sample

"Centrifuge at the lab broke and Barry's letting me borrow the one here"

Eddie beams "How nice of him"

Barry acknowledges the compliment with a tight nod "Yup. And I spend my Saturday's volunteering at the soup kitchen" he mumbles sarcastically

He immediately turns to me, his chest brushing my shoulder "Shouldn't we be testing that sample now?"

I throw him a confused glance

Observing his increased fidgeting, I nod hesitantly "Yeaah..I'll see you later Eddie. Tell Iris I said Hello"

Eddie flashes a dimple "Will do, Caitlin" he promises

As we turn and begin walking away, I fix Barry with a hard stare. This is getting ridiculous.

It takes a few seconds before he notices, but when his eyes briefly skirt mine, he does a double take

"What?"

I huff at his perplexity "What was that all about?"

"I don't know what you mean" he says cooly

I know he's attempting to play coy, but I give him the benefit of the doubt "You were acting all spastic back there"

Barry opens the door to his lab and moves aside to let me in

I give him a pointed look as I walk in "It was weird" I finish

"I always act weird" he shoots back

I turn on my heel as he closes the door behind us and my hands find home on the curve of my hips. They know the drill for my interrogatory stance

"Well, you've been acting weird _er_ than usual all day. So tell me what's wrong. Come on, spill."

"Nothing's wrong, Cait"

I watch as he takes his coat off, avoiding my laser sharp glad, and settles into his desk

If he's hiding something from me, it's most likely because he knows I will kill him if I find out.

I swear, if he's trying to hide an injury caused by his stupidity without telling me, even his speed won't be able to outrun my wrath.

Slowly, I begin walking towards him. The sound of my heels echo through the otherwise silent room

"Barry Allen, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm going to have to guess"

He jumps as I grab the back of his chair and turn it around to face me "And we both know you're terrible at lying"

I let the threat hang in the air and note his behavior

Barry's heart rate picks up as I lean in and he averts his eyes, focusing on anything but me

"Have you started getting headaches again?" I probe

"No"

"What about lightheadedness?"

"No."

"Does anything hurt?"

He rolls his eyes "No, I feel fine"

I scrutinize his face, honing in on the reddening of his cheeks, the way he keeps swallowing, and the small beads of sweat forming on his hairline

That's it!

Instantly, I place the back of my hand on his forehead and concentrate

Barry blinks in surprise "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if you have a fever"

I frown and remove my hand a few seconds later "Barry, you feel warm. Have you been drinking a lot of water?"

"Caitlin, I don't have a fever" the exasperation is clear in his tone

"How do you know? Maybe you can't tell because your body is accustomed to running at high temperatures. For all we know you could be severely dehydrated or lethargic!"

I was launching into full doctor mode

"What if you begin to have febrile convulsions? For a normal person they would only last a few minutes but for you? Who knows!" I throw my hands up

"You could begin convulsing so fast you have a seizure!" I say with alarm

Before I know it, Barry has his hand pressed against my mouth. He stares into my eyes with purpose, telling me to listen to him

"Cait," he begins sternly "I am fine. I'm not hurt. I don't have a fever, and I _won't_ start having a seizure anytime soon"

I try to dispute his testimony, but his hand over my mouth makes me sound like an adult from a Peanuts cartoon.

Barry hinders a laugh at my attempt and his eyes soften

Pushing his hand away, I straighten up "Fine. Maybe you're not sick. But you can't tell me you haven't been rather distracted today"

I cross my arms loosely and match his soft eyes "And if you don't want to tell me, that's _okay._ But you know I'm always here if you do" I say with finality

His voice is impossibly soft and my heart warms at the sound of it "I know you are, Cait. Always"

Grabbing the sample, I make my way over to the centrifuge and start setting up

"Alright, then. Let's see what makes Reese tick"

* * *

*2 hours later*

I sigh and place my head in my hands, fighting off the dull headache growing stronger as the minutes pass

"Still nothing" I grouse "Every test came back normal"

Barry looks up from the pile of papers scattered across his desk "I guess we'll have to see what the QEEG tells us and go from there"

I begin to gnaw on my bottom lip. There has to be something else I can do

Barry's voice penetrates my thought bubble "Hey, you did all you could. Like always"

I look up "Of course. You should always give 100% in all things"

His eyes twinkle "Well, unless you're donating blood that is"

I smirk and lean back in my chair "You seem to be back to your normal self. Which isn't really all that normal now that I think about it.. But I was starting to worry there for a minute"

Barry sits up straighter and takes a breath "Yeah, sorry about that. And you were right, I was acting strange"

I tilt my head slightly, questioningly

"So, want to tell me why that is?"

He looks down at his hands "Well, I agreed to something a little while ago and you coming here kind of complicates that for me. It puts me in a tough position…It's actually kind of awkward"

I don't have the slightest clue what he's talking about, so I choose my words carefully "Well Barry, I don't want to make you feel trapped or uncomfortable. I can leave if it helps, I already tested the sample anyways" I offer

His head snaps up "No, you don't have to leave. I'm not even sure if it's going to happen today anyways. I was just worried that if it _does_ , I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or pressured"

I feel even more bewildered than before, but by the look on his face, he seems relieved to get that off his chest.

Before I can ask him to clarify, we're interrupted by the distinct growling of my stomach.

Barry automatically adopts a disappointed expression "Caitlin,When's the last time you ate?" he questions with conviction

I run a hand through my hair and think

What did I have for lunch again? It feels like so long ago

Oh, yeah. I was cleaning the lab and getting Reese's blood sample. So I opted to skip lunch.

Breakfast? Let's see..

I begin sifting through my memory, trying to recall this morning's routine

This particular morning I was running a bit late because my alarm clock decided I looked tired and needed to sleep in. So I didn't have time to make breakfast and took a granola bar to eat when I got to work

…which is still in my bag.

Barry sees me eye my purse and practically reads my thoughts, immediately scowling

"Err..what time is it?" I inquire

"Caitlin!" he reprimands "You can't ignore the things _you_ need because you're focused on helping someone else!"

Oh, the irony.

Too tired to engage in an argument, I put my hands up in surrender

"Okay, okay. Just let me make a few copies of these results and then I'll run over to the Thai restaurant and pick us up some food"

Barry sighs "Okay. But if you keep forgetting to eat, I'll tell Iris all about your mutual love for shopping"

I crinkle my nose "But I hate shopping"

He gives me a devilish grin "I know. But she won't. And she was just saying how much she needed to find another friend to spend the _entire_ day with. You know, wasting hours going from store to store, trying on all kinds of clothes and shoes and-"

"Okay I get it! I won't forget" I interrupt quickly

Barry smiles smugly at me as I collect the data and stand

I can't believe he just blackmailed me.

Scratch everything I ever said about him being a hero. He just used my hatred for shopping as leverage. The smug little jerk.

"I'll be right back" I shake my head at him in disapproval as I leave

He shoots me a wink and I'm caught off guard by the gesture. I allow my hair to fall in front of my face in order to hide the blush crawling up my cheeks and mentally curse him for easily having such an effect on me.

* * *

I weave my way through the throng of CCPD workers and find the copy machine. I start it up and watch the agonizingly slow process of copying begin, tapping my fingers against the machine and willing it to go faster.

It's finally finished when I hear my name yet again

"Caitlin?"

My body programmed to respond, I turn around and find myself face to face with

"Iris, hi!"

Giving her a warm smile, I set down the papers in my hands

"Are you here to visit Eddie?" I ask

She shakes her head "No. Well, I mean I'll probably say hi to him for a minute or two but I'm here for Barry"

Confusion washes over me "Barry? Why?"

"We're supposed to go to lunch… well, I guess it would be dinner since it's already like 5"

What?

Why would he be going to dinner with Iris if he just told me that..

Oh.

That's what he was going on about. Why he feels "awkward" and why me being here "complicates things". Because he wants to spend quality time with the woman he loves and I'm here. Getting in the way of that..

"Oh. I see" is all I can say

"Are you helping with a case he's working on?"

I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head "No, I was just testing a sample in his lab. I think I'm actually about to lea-"

"Cait," I stiffen and my heart drops as I hear Barry's voice getting closer "there's something I need to tell y - Hey Iris!"

I observe as he glances at the woman next to me, realizes who it is, and lights up like a Christmas tree.

I note his reaction, memorize his facial expression, and store it away for later; for the moments I ever feel like I should just tell him the truth.

I know I said I want Barry to be happy. Know that I would help him attain the happiness he desires regardless of how I feel. God knows he deserves it more than anyone I've ever met. But I'd be lying with every fiber, every crevice of my being if I said it didn't hurt like _hell._

Especially after all the affectionate words and syllables he professed only hours ago.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat as I watch the object of my affections completely melt in front of the woman of his dreams.

You can see it in his eyes; he's wrapped around her finger, ready to give her the world on a silver platter if she would only ask. The image will be burned into the back of my eyes so I will not, cannot, shall not forget.

She gives him a carefree smile, one that is untainted and untroubled by the burdens of the world "Hey Barr, you ready to go eat? Wait, I don't even have to ask. It's _you_ we're talking about. Your stomach is a bottomless pit"

Barry looks quizzically at Iris for a moment, then a flash of recognition crosses his face

"Oh! Right. Our lunch date"

Then his eyes fix on me. He's trying to decide what to do next.

I refuse to give in, keeping my focus strictly on Iris

He continues with a tone of uncertainty, still trying to catch my eye "Actually, Caitlin was-"

"Just leaving." I interrupt, taking a stab at nonchalance

Grabbing my copies, I turn to Iris "I recommend the Thai restaurant across the street"

Iris gives an appreciative smile and I spin on my heel, desperate to get out of here and as far away from Barry as I can.

* * *

~Barry's POV~

*6 minutes earlier*

I watch Caitlin head downstairs and feel pride swelling in my chest for being the sole cause of the slight pink currently adorning her cheeks

I attempt to concentrate on the work before my eyes, but I can't shake the feeling that I should just tell Cait my reservations about Asher.

She needs to know that Eddie and Joe are expecting me to play matchmaker between the two, no matter how awkward it will be. But her being here complicates things for me because I _can't!_ He's not the right person for her and I'm in a tough position because I have to say _something._ I'm not even sure if he'll ask her out today, but I don't want her to feel pressured to agree to anything if she's not ready.

I need to warn her before Joe or Eddie introduces them.

Completely ignoring the work before me, I push away from my desk and stand

Rolling my shoulders back, I make my way downstairs to find Caitlin.

'Just tell her how you feel about Asher'

'Just tell her how you feel about Asher'

I repeat this mantra in my head over and over again while I search for the brunette.

Why is this so difficult for me?

I've always been fiercely protective over the people I care about. It's just how I am.

But never have I felt so.. _frantic_ about it all.

I feel like I'm on a headlong sprint. Just racing to get to her before something happens and she's ripped away from me forever. I have no clue why I'm in such a frenzy over this.

If my mind could stop and think about this logically, it would realize there's nothing and no one that's going to harm her.

But it can't _,_ and right now, no 'logical' thinking will squander the tingling extending to every limb or the sound of my heart beating too fast in my chest as I search for her.

Then I see her. Spot the wave of loose curls only about four yards away and my heart leaps to my throat.

The weight on my shoulders crumbles at the sight of her and my lips move on their own accord

"Cait," I call, allowing her name to roll of my tongue with ease

Now, being so close to her proximity and breaking free from the anxiety burdening my mind, I gain the courage to reveal my worries "I need to tell y-" I begin as I approach her

Noticing a movement on my left, I glance at the person next to her and warmth instantly pools throughout every nerve

"Hey Iris!" I attempt to hide my enthusiasm. And fail. I wasn't expecting her here and the way my heart takes off on a high speed chase justifies the surprise.

I watch as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear and momentarily forget what I was about to say

"Hey Barr, you ready to go eat? Wait, I don't even know why I have to ask. Your stomach is a bottomless pit"

For a second, I feel like I've missed something and have to remember what day it is, making sure I'm not forgetting her birthday or a planned occasion.

Then last week's conversation surfaces to the forefront of my memory and a surge of happiness flows within me

"Oh! Right. Our lunch date"

I know it's not really a date, but just the word sends a small thrill down my spine

It only lasts a moment before I'm struck like-well, for lack of better word- lightning as I recall _why_ I came downstairs.

My eyes shoot to Caitlin; she was just about to get us food herself

I don't know if Iris is aware of this or if Cait is going to join us or what. She won't look at me so I'm not sure what to say. I guess I'll start with the truth

"Actually" I begin "Caitlin was-"

To my surprise, she cuts in

"Just leaving" slips from her lips

Huh?

I just stare as she snatches her copies and looks at Iris, still refusing to meet my gaze "I recommend the Thai restaurant across the street"

My eyes nearly pop out of my head and I don't know why she's suddenly avoiding me. I don't know why she looks so defeated.

All I do know is that the fear from earlier is hitting me again like a freight train, clawing its way up my throat, throwing me in a state of panic

She turns on her heel and my arm instantly reaches out, fingers wrapping around her elbow

"Cait" I blurt out, her name holding so many emotions

Even to myself my voice sounds foreign, almost urgent for her to stay, to not walk out that door

Thankfully, she pauses. Slowly, she begins turning towards me

Before her eyes can meet mine, however, we are interrupted by Eddie..again.

"Hey, Caitlin!" he calls out.

Both our eyes immediately dart to him and I briefly forget the way my fingers are still pressing into the smooth skin of her arm

My eyebrows slightly crease as I spot someone in tow and then I am suddenly teetering on the edge of anxiety and raging fear

Because the man in tow is none other than Asher.

* * *

If there was ever a moment when I wished I could reverse time, now would be that time. I would snatch Caitlin up and sprint at full speed out of this cursed building, as far away from Eddie, Asher and everyone else fast as my legs could carry us.

Eddie and Asher stop in front of Cait and Eddie reveals a wide grin "Caitlin, there's someone l think you should meet"

She tilts her head curiously as Asher steps forward and introduces himself

"Hi, my name's Asher. I've been looking forward to meeting you Caitlin. Or, would you prefer Dr Snow?"

I'm helpless to do anything but keep my hand clasped to her arm, physically anchoring myself to her in hopes of keeping her within my grasp- figuratively and literally.

Caitlin shakes his hand and a slight blush appears as Asher places a light kiss to the top of her hand.

How cliche. Cait would never fall for it

She cards her fingers through her hair, the nervous habit of hers only recognizable to me

"Caitlin is fine, thank you" she smiles at him "Nice to meet you, Asher"

Eddie, obviously excited by the prospect of being a wingman, automatically jumps in "Caitlin, who was that one painter you're always raving on about? Because Asher here is a major art collector"

Her interest piqued, Caitlin angles her body away from me and closer to Asher "Really? Is there a certain artist who you're drawn to? I am in love with every painting created at the hand of Thomas Kinkade"

Asher lights up "You're kidding! I own 6 Kinkades. And counting. I'm mesmerized by the way he can incorporate the element of light into every painting he makes"

I tilt my head up to the ceiling and resist the urge to throw my hands up and say " _Really?"_ to the man upstairs.

You have got to be kidding me.

Seeing an opportunity, Iris attempts to use her self appointed wing woman position [ a stress on the _self appointed_ part.]

"Hey, you two should join me and Eddie for drinks this Friday night. You can talk about all the other things you have in common"

Like Eddie, Iris is painfully obvious when it comes to matchmaking

Asher looks at Caitlin, _MY_ friend Cait, and shrugs "I'm free this Friday night. What about you?"

I hold my breath and drill holes into the side of Caitlin's head

'It's okay to say no'

'It's okay to say no' I repeat, hoping that somehow she will get the message I'm trying to send her telepathically

I take in every action as she slowly draws in her bottom lip

I know that face all too well: She's debating over something and I can see the battle waging within her

For the first time since I came down here, her eyes dart to me, so fast I'm almost positive no one else noticed

A sliver of hope begins to shine inside me because maybe she _did_ receive the message I'm trying to send her

It's squandered the next moment when she gives Asher a hesitant smile and nods "Sounds like a plan"

They swap numbers and go through the motions of saying goodbye-for the moment- but I'm suddenly detached from everything around me.

Although I'm only inches from Caitlin, still holding on to her arm, it's as if I'm watching from a distance

This is infinitely worse than anything I ever imagined when I came down here only minutes ago

The feel of her fingers uncurling mine from her arm brings me back to the here and now.

Turning to me and Iris once again, Caitlin stretches her mouth "Enjoy your dinner. And I'll see you this Friday, Iris"

Her smile is forced and I can tell that she knows I'm not buying it. Avoiding my eye again, she turns around and- just like that- walks out of the precinct, everything I wanted to say crumbling under the echo of her fading heels.

I sigh as Iris begins talking about where to eat and I've suddenly lost my appetite.

"Hey," I interrupt her "can we do lunch another day? I've got a lot of work to catch up on right now"

She nods and pats my arm "Of course. I'll go see if Eddie can sneak away for a few hours. See you later, Barr"

Giving her a smile as fake as Caitlin's, I trudge back up to my lab

* * *

"Hey" I feel someone poke my shoulder.

I ignore it.

"Hey, buddy" he says, this time shaking my arm "We're closing man" I hear

I moan and slowly open my eyes, trying to bring the world into focus

"Wha..? Where am I?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes in order to clear my vision

The man looks down at me with a hard stare "Central City Thai Cuisine. You've been in here for the past 2 hours.. ring a bell?"

I mentally groan. Yes, yes it does. And now I remember why I came here in the first place.

"You fell asleep. We left you alone, but we're closing now". The 'so get out' is implied

I stand up "Sorry about that."

I leave without another word and start walking towards the direction of home

I link my hands behind my head and look up at the night sky

"What is wrong with me?"

* * *

 **Haha even though I know I'm going to get a lot of reviews in caps lock for ending it like that, there's Ch 7! Wow, can you believe this chapter is over 5,000 words!? Back when I wrote this chapter, I must have had a lot of inspiration haha. But since I'm leaving tomorrow and won't be able to give you the next chapter for about a week, I think this is a good trade off :) Do you guys feel bad for poor Barry, or are you still frustrated with him? Haha for me it's probably a healthy dose of both, but let me know what you think! Oh, and if you've ever seen the Peanuts cartoon with Charlie Brown and Snoopy, you'd get what I meant with the adult thing. For those who don't get it, adults from the cartoon don't have a distinguishable voice, it sounds like "Wha** **whaaa wha waaa" haha :) I love how much snowbarry fluff and angst is stuffed in this chapter! It was definitely a challenge and a pleasure to write**


	8. Chapter 8

**HELLO I'm BAACCKK! Haha :) Thank you so much for the sweet wishes I had a great vacation and I'm so happy to give you this next chapter. _But I must give you a Warning: This Chapter begins to lean towards a T+ rating and the next one is borderline M_ (depending on how you look at it..you'll understand what I mean when I release Ch 9). So I'm starting to take the kid gloves off from here on out! I really hope you'll like it**

 **And for my favorite part!**

 **theflashanatic- Thank you thank you so much for the feedback! When I wrote this I really wanted to keep them true to their characters, but also expand more on the small cues and budding chemistry from the show. The hardest part is pushing their relationship towards the romantic side while trying to avoid going completely overboard with it. But I'm definitely trying to make it work and I love to hear that I'm doing a satisfactory job on that :) That means so much to me! All I want is for snowbarry shippers to get back into the spirit and appreciate these two lovely characters! :)**

 **ArabianForest- Thank you kindly! Haha I just love torturing myself with all the angst! But I just have to put more obstacles in here! It would be boring without ;)**

 **Guest/Anonymous- Hahaha but Reese is only like 18 or 19 (I forgot how old I made her)! I know Barry is 25 and that's a 6-7 year age gap so I really wanted to make Reese and Barry's relationship brother/sister or strictly platonic. Hahaha Flashpid is a pretty cool ship name though ;) But as far as this story goes, it will definitely be Barry/Caitlin :) I didn't want to complicate the story too much by making Reese closer to Barry and Caitlin's age, but I didn't want her to be some little kid that had to be babysat all the time. So I thought 18/19 was a good age to keep her out of the whole romantic loop as well as make her more of a little sister figure in the group. :) Thanks for the question and support!**

 **Raquel- Hahahahahaha yes yes yes! I love hearing that my story is worthy of being read multiple times! Thank you thank you! Haha good thing your little sis was there, I don't want you guys to hurt yourselves out of frustration :) The wait is over! Enjoy :)**

 **Guest/Anon- I hope this long chapter will suffice :)**

 **snnowfrostt- Yes, Caitlin can read him like an open book! In my story and the show! She just _knows_ what he needs. Haha my favorite episodes are between 3 (because Barry begins to really understand who Caitlin is), 7 (because, come on, they held hands and relied on each other!), episode 10 (Because poor Cait gets held hostage and Barry has to save his #1 doctor), episode 12 (I don't think I need to explain that one ;) ), and of course episode 19 (THEY KISS THEY KISS! haha I know not technically, but still). Haha but I'm definitely leaning towards 12 and 19!**

* * *

Chapter 8

The days leading up to Friday night were uneventful.

After detecting major abnormalities in Reese's QEEG, the team focused on helping her reel in her ability and concentrate on keeping them at bay. She was making impressive progress.

As for Barry and Caitlin, there was a slight change in the atmosphere between them. Neither Wells nor Cisco noticed, but Reese did. Although the two still interacted with the usual ease, there was an underlying tension that even they failed to recognize. It was a rigidity of words that needed to be asserted but remained unsaid.

Reese quietly observed the wary glances Barry would shoot at Caitlin when he thought no one was paying attention.

And she noted the way Caitlin would leave a larger-than-normal space between them when they talked. Like there was an invisible barrier she built overnight and has kept him firmly planted on the other side of since.

To Reese, it became increasingly apparent that the two stubborn scientists needed some "quality" time to get over this little hiccup. Even more apparent was the fact that neither of them would ever initiate it without a little push.

Maybe a slight shove..if necessary

* * *

*Friday Morning*

With no metahumans surfacing, the lab had reached a small lull this morning.

Out of sheer boredom (and slight interest), Reese turns to the STAR lab rats, each in different parts of the room working on various tasks.

"So, do you guys have plans tonight? It is Friday" the young girl points out

Cisco looks up from his computer

"Of course! You know I bring the party wherever I go"

She squints at him "Isn't that a song lyric?"

He shrugs "Eh, probably"

Reese crosses her legs and begins twiddling her thumbs "So, what's on your queue for tonight then, Ciscorito?"

He rolls his eyes "You know that nickname makes me sound like a Dorito's chip, right?"

She shrugs nonchalantly " Hey man, you're the one in charge of names around here" then prompts him to continue

He sits up proudly "Actually, I'm going on a date with a girl from my apartment building"

Reese playfully wiggles one finger "You need some help with that? All it takes is one touch" she teases

He mocks offense "Hey, I've got some smooth moves you know! I don't need assistance to make a girl swoon" he says haughtily

Everyone in the room chuckles at his comment

"Does almost catching your house on fire while trying to cook dinner fall into the category of smooth?" Caitlin asks with mischief

"Hey! I'm a great cook" he defends

Reese momentarily composes herself "Yeah! I bet so fantastic even the smoke alarms were cheering for you!" she exclaims, no longer able to contain it

Everyone, even Dr Wells, bursts into peals of laughter

After it dies down and the moment slowly fades, Reese turns to Wells

"What about you, Dr Wells? Any plans?"

Complete and calculated professionalism now returned, Dr Wells gives her a pointed look "What I do in my free time does not concern you, Miss Hampton"

Reese just smiles, completely unfazed by his stare and obtuse remark

"You know, Dr. Wells. One of these days I'm going to climb over that anger wall of yours" she leans back with satisfaction "and it's going to be _glorious"_

Wells gives the slightest twitch in expression, a ghost of a smile briefly appearing "Good luck to you then"

He leaves a minute later and Reese now focuses her question on Caitlin

"So, Caitlin. Anything planned?"

Immediately, Reese notices the tension appearing in Barry's shoulders and the way Caitlin smoothes her skirt, trying to appear passive

Hmmm…

"Actually, I do" she says with confidence

Reese raises an eyebrow in surprise "Yeah? Whatcha doin?"

She watches Barry out of the corner of her eye and notes the taut muscles, the clenching of his jaw

Interesting…

"I am going on a double date at the new club that opened last month with a very nice gentleman. He's picking me up here tonight"

Reese smirks

So _that's_ why Barry's being so uptight

Ohh, this is going to be fun.

She begins hooking the bait "Sounds like you'll have a great time. My cousin told me she went there when it opened. Said it was really nice. There was a dance floor, a good DJ, lots of drinks" she says nonchalantly "…she just didn't like the dress code. But I assume you already know about that" she quickly dismisses.

Reese lets her comment hang in the air and waits for the fish to swim up

Caitlin is the first to take the bait "There's a dress code?"

Time to reel her in..

Reese begins picking at her nail polish, feigning boredom "Yeah. A pretty strict one too. Like, if one person doesn't follow the code, no one in their party is let inside"

Barry speaks up next, completely caught in the line "What's the dress code?"

What a sucker.

"Oh, you know" she begins lightly, as if noting the weather "Guys have to wear a button down shirt. No shorts. No sandals. The girls have to wear high heels, some jewelry" she twirls a strand of hair "..and the dresses can't be longer than at least 6" above the knee"

Caitlin's eyes widen "That's short" she says quietly

Cisco whistles "Man, I should have planned to take my date _there"_

Barry looks like he's been strangled. Poor guy.

Reese nails the final board in place "Yeah… But I'm sure your guy will go _crazy_ when he sees you, Caitlin. You'll definitely have him snared after that date"

Caitlin fakes an enthusiastic smile "Good to know. Thanks for telling me about the dress code, Reese"

Smiling, Reese stands "Of course! Whatever it takes to make your night go on without a hitch"

Oh, they are so amazingly gullible.

But it's not like she enjoys manipulating her older newfound friends, she's just afraid Caitlin will dress like she's going to set up a table and do everyone's taxes.

Reese knew if she was going to force Barry to open his eyes to anyone that _isn't_ Iris, she would have to really hit him hard. Force him to look at Caitlin like someone other than a friend and doctor.

He would have to look at her like the person she was underneath it all- a woman.

And a freaking hot one at that.

"I'm going to pick up some lunch" she continues, patting Barry's stiff shoulder as she passes.

There, there buddy.

* * *

*That evening*

Caitlin walks into the lab and everyone in the room stops what they're doing.

Feeling the weight of several pairs of eyes set on her, the insecurities flare up

"What?" she asks nervously

She had no clue.

No clue the kind of vision she was in her sparkling midnight blue dress, the smooth material hugging every inch of her body. Apart from the dress ending only centimeters below the bottom of her butt, it was fairly modest. Which, to Barry, made it all the more appealing.

His eyes trail down her body, memorizing the way it clung to her curves, displaying just enough cleavage to make his head spin and exposed a pair of long and perfectly toned legs.

Cisco speaks up first, eyes still wildly bewildered

"Who are you and what have you done to Caitlin?!" he demands "You look -"

"Flawless" Barry finishes without realizing that, yes, he did just say that out loud.

Caitlin squirms under the attention being lavished upon her and ducks her head "Thank you guys" she says shyly

Reese gives her a thumbs up "Make us proud"

Only a moment later, the sound of the elevator fills the room and everyone waits in anticipation as it ascends.

The familiar ding reveals a tall, extremely handsome man with a button down shirt almost perfectly matching Caitlin's dress and a single rose in his hand.

Asher approaches Caitlin with the same look of wonder and amazement that was plastered on the face of everyone in the room only moments ago.

Handing her the rose, he smiles widely "You look absolutely breathtaking"

Her face matches the hue of the rose and she quietly thanks him. Turning, she gestures to the young man standing a few feet away "This is my colleague, Cisco. Cisco, this is Asher"

They shake hands and "hi, how are you's"

She then looks at Reese and freezes, unsure of what to say. I mean, it's not like she can say 'Asher, this is my metahuman test subject.'

Noticing Caitlin's hesitation, Reese takes her own cue and walks forward, shaking his hand " Hi, Asher. My name's Reese. Like the peanut butter cups" she says in a matter of fact way. She then returns to her spot in the most casual manner, not taking notice of Asher's confused expression.

Asher then turns to Barry "Hey, Allen. How've you been?"

Barry forces a smile, which actually looks more like a grimace

"I'm good Asher. Thanks"

Caitlin turns to Asher eagerly, wanting to get out of this awkward-feeling situation as soon as possible "You ready to go?"

He nods "Whenever you are"

"Let me just grab my purse" she says, glancing around the room for it

"It's right here" Reese pipes up, handing over the purse and trying to hide a wicked grin

The two say goodbye and walk arm in arm to the elevator

Barry stares after them and stuffs his hands in his pockets

Reese just waves with one hand and holds on tightly to the phone behind her back

* * *

*Approximately 55 minutes later*

Reese looks at the clock and pops her fingers.

Time to set this plan into motion..

Setting the phone under a few papers, she warms up her acting muscles

"Hey, guys? Is this your phone?" she asks innocently

Having a naturally childlike face and harmless demeanor always helps in these instances

Barry pokes his head out from the treadmill room "Not mine" he calls, glancing at the phone

"Wait..hang on" he walks into the room and looks at the phone "I think it's Caitlin's"

Reese gives a small gasp and hands it to him " You better go give it to her. She'll probably be frantic looking for it"

Barry nods, grabbing his jacket "Okay. I'll be right back"

Reese almost shakes her head. This is too easy. The best way to attract a hero is to give him something to save.

In this case, return.

Waving him off, she turns to the young man "Hey, turbo. What's the rush? You should stay with them and enjoy a few drinks- or.. well, at least socialize. No one will be here when you get back anyways. Plus, it is Friday night"

He frowns and shifts from one foot to the other "But I don't want to intrude"

Reese rolls her eyes "Look, if they invite you to stay, it's not intruding. If they don't..well, then you can spend your Friday doing whatever you want. Now stop thinking and go"

Barry nods and, with a literal push from the young matchmaker, speeds over to the bar

* * *

~Caitlin's POV~

I listen to Asher tell a story about his first months working at the CCPD and laugh with the rest of the group. The four of us were sitting at the counter by the bar and everyone except me was drinking.

Even though I'm having a good time, I can't seem to really engage in the conversation. My mind is too affected with thoughts of Barry.

How much he would despise the annoying music, or -way deep down inside- how good he would look in Asher's shirt. Iris's presence isn't helping me take my mind off of him, either.

I don't envy Iris herself. She's beautiful and has a killer body, no doubt about that. But it definitely doesn't keep me awake at night. Doesn't hinder or halt my sleeping process.

No, it's not her physical appearance I wish I could have, it's her _world_ that I want to live in.

Just for _one_ day to know what it's like to never be told ' _no'_ by the world; to experience a place where you have never been let down and will always be given hope.

I smile as she recounts a moment from her childhood with animosity, shining with a pure light I could never even dream of holding a candle to.

Maybe I do need a drink..

Just as she reaches the most interesting part of the story, my eyes avert their gaze and instantly hone in on the figure walking towards us.

And suddenly I feel like I really _really_ want that drink..

Everyone turns and welcomes him happily as Barry approaches us- well, me if I'm being specific.

My heart begins to pound and my hands start sweating as he reaches me

 _What is he doing here?_

I briefly wonder how he even got in, then I take in his attire. A dark plaid button down with a pair of jeans that deliciously flatter his lean body, and a pair of converse. I would definitely let him in. To just about everything.

 _Wait, what?_

"Here, Cait. You forgot your phone at the lab" he says, sliding the sleek object into my hand

Part of me is relieved, but the rest of me feels deflated. He's only here for this. Nothing else.

"Barr! You here to join us for a few drinks?" Eddie asks with enthusiasm

He turns to Eddie and Iris "Uhm, no. I was just dropping off Caitlin's phone"

Iris pouts "Come on Barry! You can't come all the way over here just to leave again! Just stay. It'll be fun"

Eddie and Asher agree. I remain silent.

Barry scratches the back of his head and I can tell he's nervous

"Uh, sure..I guess" he finally complies

I futively attempt to act relaxed and unaffected, but when he takes a seat on the stool next to me, my body betrays me

 _Stupid emotions. Or whatever this feeling is_

As Iris finishes her story, I feel a hand on my back and almost melt at the touch. Barry leans in, tickling my ear "I hope it's okay. Me staying here"

I gaze at him from under my lashes and give a slow nod. His face is inches away and I can faintly smell his cologne. His lips are _right there._ All I have to do is lean forward, just a _tiny_ bit..

No. What am I thinking?

I break out of his trance and dig my nails into my palm.

I am on a _date!_

With someone else.

I can't be thinking about kissing Barry when I agreed to go on this date to help get over him!

There's only one thing I can think of that will allow me to get through this night.

I stop the bartender and order something strong. I need something strong enough to save me from myself as well as loosen me up a bit. Even if only for one night..

* * *

After a few more minutes of talking, Iris pulls Eddie away to dance.

I don't know how the world works that it just so happens I lose my phone _today_ of all days. Or that Barry _of all people_ is the one to return it to me. Let alone the fact that now he's _here_ with us.

But somehow it does, and it doesn't stop there.

Barely a minute into my one-on-one conversation with Asher, his phone goes off and he has to excuse himself. If that isn't the best part of this night, he comes back a minute later apologizing profusely because he is needed at work for an emergency.

I wave it off and happily take a rain check, sighing as he quickly walks out of the club with his phone pressed to his ear.

Then it's just me..and Barry.

Funny how that works.

He eyes my empty glasses warily

"How are you feeling?" he asks

Finally loosened up (thanks to the alcohol), I pout my lips "It's way too loud in here. Why do people voluntarily choose to put themselves through this?" I motion to our surroundings and the mass of bodies on the dance floor.

He shrugs "They think it's fun"

I snort "Being forced to spend hours doing your hair and wearing an uncomfortable dress is _not_ fun"

He allows himself another appraising glance "You really do look great though, Cait"

I hide behind my hair. Apparently, I need another drink if he can still affect me in this way.

I wave the bartender down and order a vodka.

Barry studies me carefully but doesn't comment, which I am grateful for

I look around at the girls on the dance floor. Most of them are dancing with guys and look like they're having a lot of fun.

I wish I could be the type of girl to strut out there and just let myself go. Not the girl that sits in the background unnoticed.

I spot Iris and Eddie in the mass of people. She looks so confident, glowing.

There was never a question in anyone's head why Barry had fallen for her so easily.

The bartender returns and I almost down the vodka. Which soon becomes tonight's objective.

Every doubt I have I would sink with a drink. I have a lot of reasons to drink tonight...

My date ditched me *drink*

I spent hours getting ready for nothing *drink*

I am in love with a man and he can never know *drink*

He's here with me *drink* *drink*

So is the woman he loves *chug*

Barry watches me take shot after shot and grows more uncomfortable by the second, finally intervening.

When I reach for Barry's drink- which, is only for looks- he stops me by grabbing my wrist

"I think that's enough for now, Cait" he says with a hint of concern in his voice

I frown, then pretend to relent

"You're right" I pull my arm back from his grasp

I wait until he moves his hand and, with a speed worthy of the Flash himself, snatch the drink and take a large swig.

He immediately grabs the glass from my lips

"Caitlin, no more. I'm serious" he looks me in the eye "I'm cutting you off" he says in a firm voice I don't think I've ever heard from him

My pulse quickens as I realize that I like this firm and domestic behavior

I can't help it, I start to feel excited and a wave of heat rushes through me as thoughts of him using that tone in different circumstances springs up in my fogged mind.

"Your face is flushed" Barry notes.

If only he knew..

"I'm going to grab you some water, okay?" he gently touches my arm and I nod, biting my lip

Now I'm here, drinking- no, drunk

Drunk me is a lot less filtered than normal. And I'm alone. With Barry.

Bad call on my part.

I thought drinking would loosen me up, not put my hormones into overdrive

It's too late, though, and I feel my mind cloud over, letting the alcohol-induced version of myself take control…

* * *

 **So there is Ch 8! I'm not kidding when I say this story is going to go from 60 to 100 like real quick ;) but I hope you guys don't mind! Let me know what you think! I'm probably going to release ch 9 on Saturday so stay tuned for that! And the title for this story came from "Cupid" by the legendary Sam Cooke. I definitely recommend listening if you have a chance! Oh, and I threw in a quote from "The Other Guys" and "The Heat"! Hahaha idk if any of you guys caught that.. Anyways, leave a message after the beep if you wanna talk :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning: This chapter contains more mature content than my other chapters. (T+ rating) That being said, this had to be my absolute favorite chapter to write!**

 **Hello! I hope you are having a great saturday and, like I promised, here is Chapter 9. Now, I live on the West Coast so it's not Sunday yet so my promise has not been** **broken! Haha I'm loving the feedback from chapter 8, and I absolutely love the reactions :) Thank you all for the support, please enjoy and let me know what you think!** ** _I don't know exactly when, but there will be an M rated chapter coming up...you'll just have to see when! ;) and if any of you guys are good at writing "that" stuff (SEX) haha, please PM me because a girl could use all the help she can get!_**

 **For our little Q &A:**

 **Anon/Guest- I actually wanted to write another one from the pictures Danielle and Grant took with Tyler Shields from the 1960's! I haven't had time but after I'm finished with this one I definitely want to tackle a story like that :) If I do, it obviously won't be in the same circumstances as the Flash universe, but it will be SB! We'll see what happens :) Thank you for the support**

 **ArabianForest- Thank you for always giving such great reviews! I always look forward to reading these! I actually do not have a specified chapter where it ends yet! Haha I really want to get the entire story across, so for now I guess my answer would be: How long is a piece of rope? (Whatever the length you need it to be! (: ) Haha I hope that helps!**

 **Raquel- Aww you're making me blush! Thank you for always supporting this Fic and it really means a lot! You definitely are funny in my book! :) Haha I'm glad you all like Reese, I wasn't sure how you all would react to her and if you would find her annoying or weird or just in the way! But I'm glad there are so many positive responses to her character! Haha well I hope you like drunk Caitlin!**

 **Guest/Anon- Haha you're making me smile from ear to ear! I'm glad to hear my story gets better as it goes on and not the opposite! I definitely consider that a success! :) Thank you so much for supporting my story and please feel free to keep reviewing! Enjoy :)**

 **Guest/Anonymous- This was something that formed in my mind as I first became a SB shipper and read all the amazing stories here and on Tumblr. I wanted to write something of my own partly because there weren't nearly enough Snowbarry fics out there and partly due to this idea that rooted in my mind. As the episodes for the show went on, I didn't know how great my fanfic writing skills would be because this is my first story ever, but I just wanted something to get me through the 6 days I would have to wait for the next episode! So I started the first "chapter" with nothing more than a central idea and from there the storyline grew. I originally wrote this just for me to expel everything rolling around in my head with no intention to post it, but as the weeks went on and then the season ended, no new SB fics really came up. So I decided to just take a chance, post it, and see how the SB audience would receive it. I had no idea you guys would love it so much! So I really have you all to thank for that :) Thank you for the support!**

 **Anon/Guest- Hahaha thank you thank you! It's so surreal hearing such great feedback for my stories and when you write this stuff, you do it hoping you'll do the characters justice, but never really knowing how well of a job you did. So to hear that I understand the characters' personalities and emotions is really something special! I can't thank you guys enough for being so kind to me and my story! :)**

 **Princess perfection- Hahaha yes! I totally wanted to make her sassy! I hope I did a good job at it :) I know I might have stretched her actions and reactions a little out of her normal character, but I just couldn't help it! Haha I hope you approve though!**

 **snnowfrostt- Yay I'm so glad you love Reese! Haha oh I had more fun than I should writing that part ;) Haha oh I love 1x12! That episode is an absolute gem! It's like SB shippers got ahold of the script and let their imaginations go wild! And we got to see it play out! Hmm..I really want their first kiss to be explosive! Like it's at the climax of an episode or the most intense/heated scene where they're fighting or he's about to fight some crazy metahuman and they just grab each other and kiss until their knees go weak! :) :) Haha just something to release all that pent up chemistry! Thank you for the continuous support!**

 **Caskett93- Oh do I love your reactions! I love how you are so emotionally invested into this story! I love messing with my readers' emotions and making them excited,sad, mad, frustrated! Haha keep it up please! I love it! Thank you for the support!**

* * *

Ch 9

~Barry's POV~

How did I end up spending my Friday night in a crowded bar, tending to a completely totaled woman in a stroke-inducing dress? Not that I'm really complaining…

I've seen Caitlin drunk before and it was one of the best nights of my life. I never thought I would see her in that state ever again, but I've been wrong about a lot this week.

My face heats up when flashbacks of the doctor stumbling around her flat with that little black dress half peeled off resurface. It was pretty funny.

But that's definitely _not_ why it was such a great night!

I was just surprised she would even drink so much in the first place and actually make me sing with her. And the crowd of stares she evoked the second she walked into the bar instantly made me defensive, wanting to hide her away from their roaming eyes. Then taking her home and getting a glimpse of her life outside of the lab. And the images branded in my memory of her tossing her heels off; throwing her hair to the side; reaching up and slowly dragging the zipper down,down,down..

…Okay, maybe that is a small part of the reason.

I shake the thoughts out of my head when the bartender returns with the water I ordered.

I return to our table, where a certain brunette _should_ be waiting, only to find it vacant. I place the water down and scan the room, looking for Caitlin. After about 30 seconds, I spot her. And wish I hadn't.

My blood immediately begins to boil as I observe the scene in front of my eyes.

Caitlin is in the middle of the room, dancing with a complete stranger. A complete stranger who has his hands _all over_ her to be exact. Her eyes are closed and it's obvious she isn't completely aware of what's going on.

Nausea creeps into my stomach, but right now the only thing that matters is getting her _away_ from that pig and out of here before she does something she'll regret in the morning.

I don't think I could live with myself if I let that happen.

As I march forward, I take a breath and try to harbor the protective tone I know will lace my voice.

"Caitlin"

She flinches and spins around, her eyes completely glazed over "Ohh, hey Barryy!" she garbles.

Sensing trouble, the stranger she was dancing with abruptly walks away. I glare at his back as he weaves his way through the crowd of people.

Turning back to Caitlin, I huff.

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

She looks at me like I've grown a second head " I'm _dancing._ Duh."

She glances around, noticing her partner's absence "..or, at least I was".

"I didn't know dancing involved letting a stranger feel you up!" I say, eyes flashing.

I know she doesn't know what's going on or what she is doing, but just imagining that man grab her inappropriately is making red blotches appear in my vision.

To my surprise, a wide smile appears on her face " Barry Allen, are you _jealous?"_

And the voices in the back of my mind are calling out 'Yes! Yes you are! You know this familiar feeling. These emotions. You _know_ what they are'.

That's ridiculous. I'm not jealous!

Just…protective.

"No" I say somewhat defensively, both to Caitlin and the buzzing noise in my head. But they refuse to be quieted.

'Stop lying to yourself. Admit it, accept it!'

"That's not the point!" I say sharply, more to myself than to Cait,"You're not in a state to be doing this stuff. You need to go home".

Caitlin laughs, "I can't, silly! Asher brought me here remember? And he's looonggg goonee".

She continues laughing and begins leaning dangerously to one side.

My hands hover near her waist, ready to catch her should she fall. And at this point, it looks like it could happen any second.

"Alright, Cait. I'm going to take you home now, okay?" I say slowly, making sure she understands.

She gives a serious nod "Right!"

The beginnings of a smile tease my lips as I take in her flushed cheeks and melodramatic facial expressions. Caitlin has quite a personality when she opens herself up.

Suddenly, she spins on her heel and my hands fly to her hips to steady her.

"Where are you going?" I question.

"To tell Iris and Eddie bye!" she explains, briefly sounding like her normal self. Then a giggle escapes her lips "Or should I say Officer Ken?".

If I thought she was disoriented last time she drank, she is definitely out of it this time around.

For a moment, I consider recording this moment to show Cisco later. Then the noble part of my brain kicks in and I hastily push the thought aside. No matter how funny this is now- and will be tomorrow- I don't want to embarrass Caitlin.

Just the opposite.

That's why I'm trying to get her out of here.

"It's okay, Cait. I'll text them later to say you went home" I reason.

"Okay!" she says, spinning on her heel again to face me "Lead the way, speedy".

I chuckle and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Your head is going to be hammering tomorrow," I tease as we push through the crowd.

* * *

We step outside and the crisp breeze relaxes my nerves. I breathe in through my nostrils and look down at the petite brunette "You ready?".

Caitlin suddenly jumps on me, flinging her arms around my neck. Despite being caught off guard, I quickly shift my weight to catch her and clutch her tightly to my chest.

"Ready!" she announces "But, drop me off in front of my building".

Resisting the urge to protest, I super speed us to her building and stop in front of the deserted entrance.

She begins untangling herself from my arms and sways for a moment.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" I ask nervously.

Even just getting to the door of her flat might be a problem being this unstable.

Caitlin waves off my offer "I'm fiinee Barrryy," she slurs. "Now run on home, you handsome devil you".

I stand in shock as she gives me a wicked and uncharacteristic grin that I've never seen before and blows me a kiss.

Once again, she dramatically spins away from me. But this time, her feet trip over one another and she begins falling.

Fortunately, I am within arms reach and grab her before her face can meet the concrete.

A stream of giggles tumble from her lips as I plant her firmly on her feet and now I _know_ I can't leave her like this.

I push her hair behind her shoulders and give her a stern look, "I'm going to walk you to your door, Caitlin. Just to make sure you get to your flat without hurting yourself".

Rolling her eyes, she takes a step back "Ever the hero".

Sighing loudly, she begins walking towards the entrance "Finnee. I guess I'll let you join me".

She abruptly stops in her tracks and turns to me, her hair whipping my face "But remember this, Mr Barry Allen: I am a strong and…independent woman who can take care of herself!".

Her strict mannerism has me smiling from ear to ear. Even when she is wasted, Caitlin can still be so bullheaded.

I give her a patronizing smirk "Wouldn't think anything less, Dr Snow".

She points at me "Good! And don't you forget it," she says, poking me in the chest.

Satisfied that she got her point across, Caitlin opens the door to her building and walks in. I follow behind with a grin permanently glued on my face.

"Ohh nooo!" she says loudly.

My eyes dart around the empty lobby, hoping her voice didn't disturb anyone "Shh, Cait. What is it? What's wrong?".

Completely oblivious to the volume of her voice, she points at the elevators accusingly.

"They're broken! Out of service! Completely _useless_!" her voice carries audibly through the lobby

I hurriedly put my fingers to her lips, trying to quiet her "Shh..Caitlin. It's late. You're going to wake up the whole building".

She frowns at me and points to the elevators.

A laugh bubbles up in my chest "It's okay," my voice breaks at the last syllable from trying to keep a straight face; "We'll just have to take the stairs".

As if just now remembering there are stairs, she brightens "Barry Allen you're a genius!" she yells.

Grabbing my elbow, she heads for the stairs, pulling me in tow.

* * *

When we reach the first set of steps, I motion for her to go first.

Just so I can keep an eye on her in case she begins swaying again and falls backwards.

"So, did you have fun tonight?" I ask as we begin our ascent.

She giggles and my ears perk up at the sound "I don't know. My date ditched me halfway through! But that's okay".

"So…do you like him then?" I ask cautiously.

Maybe it's wrong to ask her personal questions in this unguarded condition, but I'm curious to know what she's thinking. I know for a fact she won't be completely honest if I ask her when she's sober.

Caitlin doesn't even hesitate, "Yeah! I like his face. He's so hot" she says in matter of fact way.

I sigh. I knew she would like him the moment they met. But he's just not…the one for her. And now I sound like Iris when she told me about her thoughts towards Linda.

But this is different. He doesn't deserve Caitlin. No one does.

Caitlin snickers, "I really liked his shirt. He looked so handsome in that button down".

A huff of annoyance escapes from my mouth.

She goes on, "I loved the color of it. The fit of it. You would have looked irresistible if you wore it instead" she sighs pitifully.

I stop on the step and strain my ears. Did she just say what I think she said?

"You think it would have looked better on me?" I question.

Caitlin nods vigorously.

"Absolutely! That's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw him tonight. How much I wanted to see _you_ in that shirt..Maybe taken off even more".

I hear the blood rushing through my ears and my neck begins heating up.

How do I respond to that?

She rapidly turns on her heel again to face me and my arms instantly reach up. I really wish she would stop doing that; it makes me antsy.

She steadies herself, then looks down at me from the step above "So, Barry Allen," she declares "I have tonight made a _very_ serious decision".

I gulp, "Uh…a-and what's that?".

"No longer will I play the field," she says and hangs her head in drunken remorse.

I begin to smile "Congratulations".

Caitlin lifts her head and purses her lips at me; "The field stinks. Both economically and socially".

She sounds like a pouting child and it's so extremely adorable.

My thoughts suddenly cloud as I stare at her glossy lips, the bottom lip slightly jutted out. My tongue instinctively runs over my own, moistening them, and my heart rate accelerates.

"So I'm giving it up!" she yells, throwing her arms out.

And then I'm pulled out of my stupor because now she's plunging forward.

I move quickly.

My right shoulder catches her weight as she flings her body over me and I snatch her up, my right hand clasping the back of her thighs.

"Whoa, Cait." I exclaim in surprise.

Caitlin knots her fingers in the back of my shirt and bursts out laughing.

I laugh with her and shake my head,"You're lucky I'm nice enough not to tell you about any of this tomorrow".

"You're so sweet Barry," I hear her say to my back as I haul her up the steps; "Are those the prerequisites for being a superhero or something? Nice and insanely but modestly attractive?".

"You think I'm attractive, Cait?" I ask with astonishment.

"Of course!" she exclaims, "Even more than Eddie and Asher and…Adam Levine!".

My heart soars.

"Wow, even more than the sexiest man alive?" I joke, my thumb absentmindedly running back and forth over the smooth plane of her skin.

"I don't care about all that 'sexy' stuff. It's so overrated. The hottest men are the ones who are the most humble. And you, Barry Allen, are number one on my list," she says nonchalantly.

I've never received so many compliments from Caitlin Snow in one month, let alone one night. And it doesn't stop there.

"So…" I begin curiously, delving further into her mind, "What do you find most attractive about me then?".

I feel like an intruder, using this opportunity to sneak past her guarded heart and into her true thoughts and emotions.

"Physically or mentally?".

The voice in my head responds for me: "Physically".

Cait hums, "Initially it was your hair".

"My hair?" I say disappointingly.

I'm not being picky, but I was just hoping it would be something like my eyes or my smile.

Definitely not my hair. I mean, anyone can get the same haircut. So it's not really something that's…unique. Not a rare quality I possess that she finds attractive.

"Yeah! It looks so soft. Like cotton candy," she says with appreciation.

"Well…thanks.." I say, unsure whether I should still consider it a compliment given her reason.

She raises her head; "You know, there have been days when all I wanted to do was touch your hair. Just to se if it was really as soft as it looks".

I chuckle. Typical Caitlin.

"You don't have to _ask_ to touch my hair, Cait".

I feel her exhale, "Yes I do. For the way I want to touch it, I do".

I pause on the staircase.

"What way do you want to touch it?" I ask quizzically.

Caitlin uses the back of my shirt to push herself up and shifts in my arms until I'm holding her bridal style.

My palms begin to sweat and I can't tear my eyes from her, unsure what she's going to do. Especially if she feels she needs permission

Caitlin meets my gaze, " I would rake my fingers through your hair. Like this.."

She leans in and tentatively cards one hand through my brown locks.

"Then I would tangle my hands in your hair…Like this," she demonstrates, sliding both hands slowly in my hair and gently knotting them.

My breathing begins to accelerate and I can't take my eyes off her. What is going on?

She then leans into my ear, her voice sending goosebumps up my arms "And then, I would pull on it..Just. Like. _This."_

Caitlin presses her nose to my neck and tugs on my hair with her fingers, causing a low moan to involuntarily release from deep within my chest.

She's so close I can feel her body heat, smell the sweet perfume radiating from her presence. She's absolutely intoxicating.

I close my eyes and my head begins to spin. How can such an innocent touch manage to feel anything but?

She slowly removes her fingers from my hair and throws me a lazy smile, " I was right. It is soft," is all she says.

I gape at her, my thoughts too scrambled to form words. She stares back blankly; "So, are you going to keep walking or what?".

I'm still holding her in the stairwell, just staring into her caramel colored orbs.

"Uh-umm…Yeah.. Right." I stutter

What is happening to me? Why am I so flustered? This is _Caitlin._

Our relationship is strictly _platonic._ She doesn't even like me in a romantic sort of way.

Right on cue, the small part of my brain chirps up.

'Are you _sure_?' it pesters. 'Do you know for certain?'.

Yes! Caitlin Snow loves Ronnie Raymond. I know she's trying to move on and find someone else to fall in love with. But not with _me._

I need to just chalk this up to a night consisting of too much alcohol and move on like normal.

Hoping it will bring my thoughts under control, I run the rest of the way until we're standing outside her door.

* * *

Gently, I set her down.

Caitlin digs through her purse until she finds her keys and bursts through the door.

I stand in the doorway, unsure whether she wants me to come in or if I should close the door and leave.

She throws her purse on the counter and turns to me, raising one eyebrow.

"You gonna come in or just stand there gawking?" she demands.

I blanch and shyly shuffle in, silently closing the front door.

Cait runs a hand through her hair, "I think I'm in the mood for another drink," she states and walks to the kitchen.

I look at her incredulously

"You're kidding".

She shakes her head, curls flying everywhere and begins climbing onto her counter in search of a bottle of wine.

I panic and flash over to her, grabbing her waist "Cait, you're going to fall," I say.

She peers down at me.

"That's what you're here for," she laughs, only pausing to momentarily hiccup.

I gently tug on her waist and try again "Cait, you're drunk.." I retaliate.

She nods and begins opening the cupboards above her " _True_. Absolutely true. True, but irrelevant".

I groan, "Okay, come on. Time for bed".

She pouts and continues searching "C'monn Barry. Just oneee little drinnkk".

Before she can reach for the wine bottle, I tighten my hold on her waist and flash us to the bedroom.

Caitlin looks around in confusion, then scowls at me.

Pushing her hair back, she points at me accusingly "Alright! New rule! No super speeding when you're in my house. For anything!"

I put my hands up in surrender "Okay, okay. Deal".

She hiccups again and walks over to the bed, sitting down on the edge.

I watch as she fumbles with the straps of her heels, fingers not steady enough to remove them.

"Do you need some help?" I offer.

She sighs and lays back on the bed, lifting her foot as consent.

"Stupid heels," she mutters as I kneel in front of her and begin maneuvering them off her feet.

I chuckle as she keeps mumbling.

"Heels of _Satan. Killer heels"._

I slide the last heel off her foot and pat her ankle, "They're off".

She draws herself up and stands "Much better".

I cautiously trail behind her as she walks to her spacious bathroom and begins washing her face.

I lean against the doorframe, examining the way she clumsily scoops her hair to one side as she leans over the sink. Study the way her slender body, still clothed in that beautiful midnight blue dress, bends with ease and grace in spite of her inebriety.

There was a simple beauty to it all.

It's silent as she continues preparing for bed by brushing her teeth and feebly running a comb through her hair. Neither of us speak, but there is a comfortable camaraderie settled in the atmosphere.

"Barry?" her reflection in the mirror meets my eyes, "can you help me?" she gestures to the necklace still resting on her collarbone.

I wordlessly move behind her and gently brush her hair from her neck. Delicately, I unclasp the chain and draw the necklace forward, the tips of my fingers dancing over the exposed skin along the way.

Gathering the necklace in one hand, Caitlin smiles and pats my cheek, sauntering back into the bedroom.

She places the necklace on the dresser and turns to me "Okay, turn around until I tell you when it's safe".

With a sense of Deja Vu, I face the bathroom and resist the urge to turn around when I hear her stumbling.

"You okay, Caitlin?".

She stops and blows a piece of hair out of her face, "I think I need some saving".

Rotating my body, my eyes widen and I'm rendered speechless for a moment. Even though I've seen her like this before, the memories don't do her justice.

Not that I think about those memories a lot…they just tend to pop up from time to time.

Like last time, her dress is pulled down to her waist. It looks like she's trying to wrestle it down to her feet when it's meant to be removed by pulling over the head.

"You know the rule. And be careful, I think it's caught on something," she warns.

I pause as I realize that she doesn't want me to use my speed.

Last time I didn't see anything solely because I did it in a flash.

This time…

I take a shaky breath and nod, very aware of how intimate this moment is, even if I am the only one. Cait is so out of it, I know she won't remember any of this tomorrow.

Hesitantly, I move forward, trying my hardest to ignore her red lacy bra and the swell of her breasts. I capture the smooth material of her dress and pull it back up her shoulders.

"The problem," I murmur, trying to distract myself from focusing on her more than absolutely necessary, "is that you're trying to push the dress down…"

Sliding my fingers underneath the edge of her dress, I carefully begin peeling it up "…when it's supposed to go over".

Caitlin raises her arms obediently as the dress-and back of my hands- meticulously slide up her legs, her hips, past her waist, and over her chest until the fabric is bunched up in my hands.

My stomach clenches and my mouth goes dry as I give in to the desire and _slowly,_ purposefully, rove my eyes over her body. My breathing becomes ragged as I take in an eyeful of red lace.

Out of all the colors, why did it have to be _red?_

Hearing a laugh, I bring my eyes up to catch Caitlin's face and begin turning the shade of her lingerie.

"Don't be ashamed," she points to the clothing on the bed, "but could you pass me my nightgown?".

The room feels like it's 100 degrees and climbing as I nab her pajamas. Well, that's putting it lightly.

Her nightgown is short, silk, and almost completely see through. I'm tempted to ask why sensible Caitlin Snow has such scandalous clothing in her closet, but who knows what her response will do to me.

I am once again rendered speechless as she pulls it over her head and slowly slips it down her body, the fabric ending where her thigh begins.

Caitlin runs her hand through the curls in her hair and walks up to me, only stopping when our chests are touching.

My pupils dilate and meet hers, my entire body taut, waiting for her to make the next move.

'This is Caitlin!' I try to remind myself.

'Dr. Caitlin Snow, the woman who has sewn all my cuts, tended to all my wounds,' I reminisce.

But those damn voices are back and reminding me that, ' _This is 25 year old, intelligent, sexy Caitlin Snow who's right here and ready to take the next step' ._

I try to ground those voices out, but it's getting hard. Too hard. And I'm not sure I want to try anymore.

She has a gleam in her eye as she regards me, "Aren't you going to tuck me in?" she asks in the most innocent manner.

And I know she's toying with me, seeing what I will do. And my hands clench into fists because I can't _take it._ I am so ridiculously on edge I have to dig deep to find the restraint I need to stay solitary.

Because all it will take is one move, one touch, one look. And I won't have the willpower to stop.

Despite everything I feel for Iris, there's just something about Caitlin. I don't know what it is or how she's doing it, but she's got me under her spell and only now am I discovering just how powerful it is. Jut how much it affects me.

How much _she_ affects me.

The only thing I _do_ know, is that all I want to do is grab her, touch her, feel her.

Bite that lip of hers that's been teasing me all night and completely raid her mouth with my tongue. Rake my hands through her hair and feel her tugging on mine as I pin her to the bed with my hips and explore _every inch_ of her _._ Hear her voice in my ear whispering my name, moaning my name, yelling my name as we test the unexplored ways I can use my speed.

But this is still one of my closest friends Cait.

I would never do that to her if she didn't know what she was really doing. What she was really asking for, and who she was doing it with.

It physically hurts, but I steel myself and walk to the bed, pulling back the covers and motioning for her to get in. My dirty fantasies cannot take over my sense of logic.

She silently pads over, climbs in, and lays back with a small smile. I push the covers over her shoulders and kneel down, stroking her hair "I'll see you tomorrow Caitlin".

She tilts her head and looks at me, a rare vulnerability I have only seen a few times etched on her face "Barry? Will you stay with me tonight?".

I appraise her with soft eyes, "Are you sure?".

She pats the empty space next to her in response.

Nodding, I stand and remove my shoes, turn out the light, then walk to the other side of the bed. I finger the collar of my shirt, debating, then flash it off.

Peeling back the covers, I gingerly slide in and keep a large distance from her proximity.

I hear her voice a few seconds later.

"I'm not going to bite, you know".

I smile and she scoots closer to me, her toes tickling my calf.

"Is it comfortable? Wearing your jeans to bed?" I hear her ask.

I shrug, then remember she can't hear me; "Not really. I'll be fine though".

She sighs "Barry, don't give up being comfortable on my account".

I stay still.

Groaning, she scoots away from me and turns her back "There. Since you're so worried about modesty. I swear, Barry. Sometimes you're too much of a gentleman".

I chuckle and flash my jeans off. I instantly feel a million times better.

Reaching out, I curl my fingers around Caitlin's hips and pull her closer to me. She turns and I can barely make out the smile outlining her face.

"I'm not worried about being modest," I mumble, stroking the silky material over her hip, "I'm worried that you'll realize just how un-gentlemanly I can be…if that's a word".

Caitlin runs her hand through my hair ,"Never" she smirks.

I relax into the soft pillow "Goodnight, Cait".

She moves just a little bit closer, "Night Barry".

* * *

Something draws me out of my sleep. Slowly, I open my eyes.

Not recognizing the familiar bedroom of my apartment, I instantly become alert and fight the sleep clouding my mind. An instant later, I relax. That's right, I'm at Caitlin's.

Looking down, I notice the way our bodies are tangled. Caitlin's right leg is carelessly thrown over my own, pushing our hips incredibly close. My right arm is being used as a pillow while the other is under her nightgown, wrapped around her hip, my thumb brushing the lace of her underwear. I look past her sleeping form at the clock. It's only 4 am.

Now I have a choice.

I can either leave know safe in the knowledge that she won't know I left because she won't remember I was ever here. Or I stay here and explain everything to Caitlin in the morning. Things that I can't distinguish were alcohol induced or feelings that went unfiltered due to the alcohol.

The only problem with the latter option is the fact that, either way, we will never be able to look at each other in exactly the same way. Then I guess the question would be: Do I _want_ things to be different between us?

If tonight's..or yesterday night's (depending on how you look at it) events taught me anything, it's that I definitely do not see Caitlin as "just a friend". Maybe I haven't for a while and it took this occurrence to finally notice it.

But if I tell her that I don't see her in a strictly platonic way, she might not feel the same and then it will just be awkward.

I've had my fair share of unrequited love to last a lifetime. Whatever Caitlin and I have, and I don't even know myself, I don't want to tarnish it. I love the relationship we share.

Making up my mind, I slowly begin to extract myself from the bed. I freeze as Caitlin mutters something incoherent and stirs.

Sighing, she turns away from me and I stay stock still until I hear the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Flashing my clothes back on, I silently lean over and place a featherlight kiss to her forehead. Before she can wake up, I run out of her apartment and back home, falling into my own bed.

'Coward' the voice in my head mocks.

The remainder of the night is filled with constant stirring and restless sleep.

* * *

 **Okay, puh-leeez tell me someone noticed I took a scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's for that stairwell part! When writing this part, for some reason the scene from the movie came to mind and I just knew I had to do it for Barry and Caitlin! If you've seen Breakfast at Tiffany's and understand what I did there, please LOL with me! :D Hahaha and if you haven't seen that movie, you definitely should! It's a MUST WATCH! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and it's long again (YAY)! I'll probably post Ch 10 Wednesday because I do work and have classes so unfortunately I can't post too soon! Oh, what did you think of this T+ rated chapter? I'm not going to lie, this stuff is out of my element so I hope my efforts sufficed. Once again: _I don't know exactly when, but there will be an M rated chapter coming up...you'll just have to see when! ;) and if any of you guys are good at writing "that" stuff (SEX) haha, please PM me because a girl could use all the help she can get!_ Anyways, I know I stretched Caitlin's actions and reactions and her character would probably NOT do any of this if she was drunk, but my mind just went crazy and took off, so what can you do? Haha please review and thank you kindly for all the support! **


	10. AN

_Hey guys!_

 _So, I know Chapter 10 is supposed to come out today and I was looking over it, about to release it, when an idea hit me! It's going to make my story longer because the route this chapter would have taken would shorten the remainder of the story considerably. And there still haven't been many Snowbarry stories since the season ended, so I want this story to at least give you something to read while we wait. That is why I am going to scratch this CH 10 I was about to give you and take a different route with it in order to give the story a longer life span. Unfortunately, that means I won't be able to give you anything today, but give me 2 more days to incorporate this new idea into the story and I'll give you the new chapter as soon as I finish! I might (emphasis on might) be able to elongate this story and add more plot twists in order to make it last up until the new season is about to begin, but at the same time I don't want to drag this story out too long! Let me know what you think about the length of this story and feel free to give me your thoughts/concerns regarding the span of this story. And I promise I will have the alternate ch 10 up ASAP! :) Thank you all for the unwavering support!_


	11. Chapter 10

**IM SORRY IM SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT A WHOLE WEEK FOR CH 10 BUT HERE IT IS! When the new idea took root in my mind, I knew you guys would love it when it was all said and done but I had to scratch my original ch 10. And then this ch 10 took longer than I expected because I was having a hard time finding a way to incorporate elements of the new idea into it. So, once again sorry but please forgive me and enjoy this Ch 10! It's extra long too :) Thank you guys for the support.**

 **Okay for the Q &A!**

 **ArabianForest- I know and I'm so sorry for making you guys wait! Haha no, I completely understand and I think I'm just going to go until I feel I've written everything that needs to happen in order to give you the perfect "dramatic"/ "Angst"/ "romantic"/"funny" story :) Thanks for all the support :) And yes, I will definitely say when the M chapter is coming up! Hahaha thank you :)**

 **Airsay- Yes, I think you are right! And that is true, I can always write another story before the season begins :) Thank you for the support!**

 **Raquel- Just like a piece of rope! I'll definitely finish where I think it will be appropriate, but I definitely love all of the feedback on it :) Thank you thank you thank you thank you x1000 for liking my chapters! Please keep up the support :) It means a lot! Oh my gosh I also saw the season 2 trailer of the flash and I was freaking out! I'm so excited! And no it would not be strange to call me your friend because I consider all of you my friends too :) YES! We are reviewing pals! Hahaha thank you for reading this story from the beginning and giving me such great feedback to look forward to!**

 **Anon/Guest- 1. YES I LOVE BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S TOO! THAT MOVIE IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES! 2. Thank you so much! It really does mean a lot when I get such nice comments :) I definitely think I am doing another fic after this one :) 3. Awww that just made my day! I'm very shy about my writing so to hear something like that just gives me that much more confidence! Please keep up the reviews! I would love to hear from you again :)**

 **Guest/Anon- You will definitely have a lot of Reese in this chapter :)**

 **Guest- Thank you so much for reading this story and reviewing! You guys have no idea how much you mean to me!**

 **wheresmymadmaninabox- Hahaha I hope this is worth the wait :) Thanks for the wisdom ;) Keep up the support, I really appreciate it! By the way, your dialogue from ch 9 is hilarious! I absolutely love doing the voice part! It's definitely a challenge to write but is worth it in the end :)**

 **time-failed-us: Haha ooh good! I've never written a chapter like that and I was nervous because I wasn't sure if i did it well! Hahaha I know I make it frustrating and I'm sorry but I promise you guys will be repaid for all of this :) Hahah thank you for the review! And for the support!**

 **Princess perfection- THANK YOU SO MUCH! I WAS SO NERVOUS FOR THAT CHAPTER BECAUSE IT IS SO OUT OF MY ELEMENT! Thank you :)**

 **snnowfrostt- YAY! I love hearing that! I'm always trying my hardest with each chapter so it's great to hear that it's paying off! Oh, trust me. You will. I've got a lot of jealous Barry up my sleeve so stay tuned :) I don't think this is the aftermath you were hoping for, but it's definitely leading in** **that direction (although it doesn't seem like it right now). Make out in the rain will definitely be on my list for one of these chapters! Thank you for all the support and reviews and all that great stuff that you guys do for me! :)**

 **Caskett93- good! I didn't want to overdo Caitlin's part, but I definitely wanted to take her out of her "doctor snow" element that we're so used to seeing her in. Yes, everything you just said is more than what I could have hoped for ch 9! Thank you for not killing me! Hahaha but the restraint may be harder after you read this chapter hahahaha sowwy :)**

 **vcsb- I love getting new reviews in from new people! Hi, how are you? Hahaha thank you for reading my story it truly means a lot! Thank you for the kind words, and I hope I get help with that M chapter too because so far, no one has PMed me to help! So we'll see if I get some help or if I'll have to do it all by myself (which is scary)! Hahaha Yay for Reese! Thank you again for the support! And keep up the reviewing :)**

* * *

Ch 10

"Soo…how did it go last night?" are the first words to reach Barry's ears as he walks into STAR labs.

Glancing at Reese, he averts his gaze and tries to keep a blank expression.

"Fine. I gave Caitlin her phone and ended up talking with everyone for a little while".

"And then..?" she prods.

Barry tries to distract himself by fixing the papers strewn across the desk. "And then nothing".

Reese rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, the gesture right on par with her age. "You're a terrible liar, Barry. Just tell me".

He shakes his head, only allowing quick glances at the girl before him.

"There's nothing to tell. I dropped off her phone and we all had a few drinks".

Reese smirks. "Was Asher a gentleman the whole night?"

Barry snorts. "Yeah, sure…Until he left," he mumbles.

"What was that?"

He mentally curses himself. "Nothing, I didn't say anything".

"Did you say he left the date?" she asks in disbelief. "Did he ditch Caitlin?"

Barry sighs at her sharp hearing and nods. "Yeah, he got called into work for something important, I guess".

Reese tilts her head. "Oh, that's too bad," she says, not sounding at all remorseful. "Did the rest of you do anything fun? Go dancing maybe?"

Barry looks down at the tiles, knowing he's about to be snared in the trap she's subtly setting.

"Iris and Eddie did…Caitlin wasn't really up for it".

Until she was completely drunk, that is.

"Soo..it was just you two then?…And Caitlin was drinking?" Reese asks, a trace of curiosity playing in her tone.

Oh, she knew where this was going and by Barry's reaction, her presumptions weren't far off. This is even better than what she could have hoped for!

Barry looks down at the young meta, using his height and exceeding age to hopefully deter her probing inquiries.

"No more questions, Reese. We're done talking about this," he says in a hard tone, giving her a warning look.

His attempt at intimidation backfires and instead of shying away, Reese drives further, eyes bright with enthusiasm.

"It _was_ just the two of you, wasn't it!? Ooh, what happened next?" she squeals, practically jumping up and down.

Barry sighs. If she wasn't intimidated by Dr. Wells, there's no way she would be even slightly deterred by him.

He looks at her warily, not entirely sure how to deal with an over-excited 18 year old girl.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore" he says, almost whining.

Reese sighs in exasperation.

"Oh, come on! I'm the one who told you to go socialize and have fun in the first place. Doesn't that entitle me to something?" she pleads, leaning slightly on her toes like a bird about to take flight.

Barry chuckles at her attempts to sway him. "Sorry, kid. Not happening. Even if there was something to tell".

Reese groans. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll have to guess!" she threatens.

Barry almost laughs out loud at this. Good luck. He can't even decipher what exactly happened last night.

Nevertheless, she begins pacing the floor, putting the pieces she has together and attempting to fill in the blanks.

"Let's see…If Iris and Eddie went off to dance and Asher left…my guess is that Caitlin started drinking. You know, to make the night at least a little bit better. And you were the only one left to talk to…so she probably drank more - no offense".

Barry rolls his eyes, trying to hide the uneasiness heightening at her every guess. She was alarmingly perceptive.

Reese stops pacing and studies Barry, trying to see if her guesses are hitting the mark. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't drink very often. So she probably can't handle her liquor very well".

He begins shifting awkwardly, trying not to let anything show on his face. "You're just assuming. Let's just drop the subject, okay?".

Ignoring him, she begins pacing again. "If Caitlin doesn't drink a lot, then she probably doesn't know her limits..which means she probably unintentionally got really, really drunk..!"

Barry's stomach sinks as Reese whirls around, eyes wide with realization. "Which means you'd feel the need to take her home since Asher was gone and no one else was around!"

He starts, her third degree interrogation lighting a fire underneath him.

"Why are you so interested in what happened?" he asks in attempt to turn the tables on her.

For the first time this morning, Reese hesitates. "No reason…just curious," she scratches the back of her head.

A sly grin spreads across her face. "So, what happened after you took her home Barry?"

Barry desperately tries to hide the blush burning under his cheeks.

"Can we just talk about something else?" he asks, voice strained and practically pleading.

Finally relenting, Reese releases him from her laser-sharp gaze. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. And I promise not to say a word to anyone".

"Thank You".

Lowering her voice, she steps closer to the speedster. "Can I just ask one more question? I promise it has nothing to do with last night".

Barry leans forward, speaking in the same hushed tone. "What's that?"

Reese hunches her shoulders forward like a girl exchanging a secret and shields one side of her mouth with her hand. "Do you like Caitlin?"

Barry's heart stutters- he's caught off guard and bursts into panicked laughter.

"What? Me? L-Like Caitlin?" he hears himself ask incredulously.

' _YES!'_ comes the voice in his head that he's promptly ignored for the past month.

But Barry knows this routine, and he does his best to squash the voice with:

"No!" followed by, "We're just…really, really good friends. That's all".

Reese raises one eyebrow. Come on, this is her superpower. She can spot this stuff a mile away.

"Really?" she asks, both to his response and the fact that he thinks she's believing him.

Barry fiercely nods his head. "Yes! Caitlin…she's in love with her ex- fiancé…It's a long story," he adds in response to her questioning look.

Reese's eyes bore into his. "But what about _you_? What do you believe?"

The real question, ' _Who do you love?'_ is subtly implied and both of them are aware of it hanging in the air, waiting to be answered.

Barry looks down, considering the weight of her words.

Does he really believe that Caitlin still loves Ronnie? Really believe that they are nothing more than close friends? Could these recent feelings towards Caitlin be something more than a slight attraction?

' _Could they even be love?'_ the voice in his head quietly suggests.

*But just as the voice in his mind is able to slip into the forefront of his thoughts, so is his sense of hard, calculated reason*

No, he thinks. (Sadly, the scales eventually even themselves out).

He loves Iris. He always has, ever since he was a child. Barry Allen is in love with Iris West!

But…if that's the cut and dry case…

Then why is the statement feeling more and more like a mantra?

Like something that must be repeated in order for his mind to remember the value of its words.

Nevertheless, he is tethered to the story he must tell. It's his only anchor; his only constant in this chaotic and ever-changing world.

Some habits are just too hard to break and,when you've been fighting an uphill battle for 14 years, it gets harder and harder to realize when it's time to wave the white flag.

"Me…" he begins, his mouth setting into the familiar mold that will once again voice the story he's been telling for years, "I'm in love with a girl I grew up with. Her name is Iris. She's my best friend and she's everything I've ever wanted. She's my soulmate".

Reese gives an inaudible sigh and bites her lip, nodding solemnly.

"You really want to be with her, don't you?" she asks quietly.

' _No'_

 _'_ _No you don't!'_

"Yeah," Barry agrees sadly, "But I can't get her to realize that she does too. She has…strong feelings for her boyfriend".

He shakes his head. If only he had some way to open her eyes. Something to make her finally discover her underlying emotions and feelings…

…or someone.

 _'_ _No! No No No No No!'_

The idea hits him like a full-force bullet square in the back. It's PERFECT!

 _'_ _Don't do it! You don't know what you're asking for!'_

Jolting off the desk he's perched on, Barry grabs Reese's shoulders

"THAT'S IT!"

She jumps in surprise and looks at him with wide eyes. "What is?"

' _Stop it! Just stop for a minute and listen to your heart for once in your life!'_

But the idea is already rooted in Barry's mind and growing faster by the second.

A wide smile breaks across his face and he's pulsing with excitement.

"I know how to make Iris finally acknowledge her feelings for me! The answer has been in front of me this whole time!"

Reese looks side to side in confusion, then back at the young man before her. "And the answer is..?"

Barry shakes their Cupid metahuman. "YOU!"

Her mouth pops open and she blinks rapidly. "Wha- Me?"

"Yes!" he exclaims, absolutely beaming. "Part of your ability is to open someone's eyes and make them notice who they really love. If you use your ability on Iris, she'll finally realize that she doesn't love Eddie! I don't know how I didn't think of this before, it's perfect!"

Reese begins nervously wringing her hands. "I..I don't think it will work like that," she begins, her voice straining to stay under control.

"What if…I don't know, something happens and she falls even deeper for Eddie?" she tries to reason.

Barry doesn't even consider it.

"It won't happen," he answers in a heartbeat, "I know I'm her true love. And it's okay that you can't tell me this yourself because you don't want to mess anything up. But I don't need your ability to know who my soulmate is. So, please, can you help me catch her?"

"I-I don't know, Barry," she stammers.

He grabs her wringing hands, holding them still. "Please, Reese," he begs. "I can't do this without you. I've been in love with Iris since I was eleven years old. This entire time I've waited for her and it's killing me!"

Barry squeezes her hands in desperation. "Please, I'll do anything you want. Just say the word".

Reese swallows, pulling her hands back and stuffing them in her pockets. "Barry, I don't do this for a reward," she mumbles, averting her gaze. "You don't owe me anything".

A smile creeps up on his lips. "So…you'll do it?"

Staring at the wall behind him, she slowly nods her head.

A squeak escapes her as Barry snatches her up and spins around, "thank you"s continuously tumbling from his lips.

After setting her down, he finally notices the absence of his colleagues.

"Where is everyone?"

"Dr Wells went off…somewhere about 20 minutes ago. Cisco's in the basement or whatever you call it, and I think he said Caitlin was coming in later today".

An uneasy feeling bubbles up inside Barry's stomach at the mention of Caitlin, but he shakes it off.

"Okay, I'm going to check up on Cisco. Thank you again," Barry says as he departs the lab.

Reese waits until he's gone, then shoves the heel of her palm into her forehead.

"Oh no…what did I just do?"

* * *

~2 hours later~

Caitlin parked her little green Fiat in the "Employees Only" spot and turned off the engine. She immediately begins fumbling through the the glove compartment for the bottle of Advil to ease the hammering in her head.

 _Why?_

That question has been crossing her mind more times than she can count as of late. Usually, this three letter word began the inquiry that would spark the torrent of sadness she so often felt.'Why did all of this have to happen to Ronnie?' or 'Why couldn't it have been me?' were normally among the most frequently asked.

Today, however, the familiar question did not arise because of elements that were out of her control. No, she knew what she was doing when she grabbed that shot glass. She knew she could have stopped after that. And yet, she still cannot stop herself from repeating the same question over and over in her mind.

W _hy did I take that first drink?_

Because the after-effects are lasting much, much longer than the initial buzz and sensation of the tainted liquid.

After a minute or two of groping around, she finally feels the round bottle under her fingertips and snatches it out of the compartment.

She takes a sip of water and the round pills follow suit shortly after. Praying that they will kick in as soon as possible, Caitlin throws the pill bottle in her purse and climbs out of her car.

She looks up at the overcast sky and allows the cold, biting air to loosen her muscles.

 _Why did I take that first drink?_

Groaning at the incessant pounding, she reaches into her pocket and, despite the lack of bright weather, puts her sunglasses on and trudges toward the building.

"Good morning Caitlin," she hears Reese say as she sets her purse on the desk.

She looks up at her and gives a tired smile.

Reese giggles as her eyes rove over the doctor. "Rough day?"

Caitlin collapses into her chair and removes her sunglasses. "You have no idea".

Reese watches as she begins rubbing her temples in attempt to ease the throbbing headache and looks around the room.

"Where are the boys?" she asks, a slight frown appearing on her face.

"They're in the basement. Don't worry, I'm watching them from the surveillance camera," Reese adds when she sees Caitlin begin to jump up at the idea of Cisco and Barry by themselves down there.

Whenever Barry and Cisco are alone, something is bound to go wrong.

Caitlin relaxes. "Okay, good. The last time I left them alone, I came back to find half the cortex covered in some type of goo. A new innovation, they said. For Jell-O!"

She momentarily laughs along with Reese at the memory, but a sharp pain in her head forces her to close her eyes. The lighting in the room isn't helping much, either.

Reese looks at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

She nods her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a bit too much to drink last night. I don't go out very often".

Reese chuckles. "Yeah, Barry told me," she says, then instantly regrets it.

Caitlin's eyes snap up to meet hers. "Did he tell you what happened? I can't recall anything. What did say to you?"

For the second time that day, Reese wishes she had taken an earlier shift at the Animal Shelter. Or better yet, wishes she had just kept her mouth shut.

"Aah…umm..He just said, you know, how he went to drop off your phone. And, umm, you guys invited him to stay and hangout. Then, I guess Asher had to go…or something.." she stutters.

Caitlin nods her head. "Yeah, I remember that part. What did he say happened after that?"

"Err..you started to drink. Which makes sense because, you know, Asher left and that really stinks. I liked him and I know you were looking forward to that date but I guess it's just not meant to be but it's okay because there's other fish in the sea, you know, and I'm sure you'll find someone who's the perfect match for you and who knows, maybe he's a lot closer than you think and you just have to really look and-"

"Wait!" Caitlin interrupts, trying to understand what the girl before her is talking about, "Reese, sweetheart, you're talking a mile a minute. What do you mean Asher is not meant to be?"

Reese pauses and tilts her head in confusion. "Asher left you during your date, didn't he? I thought you were done with him…aren't you?"

Caitlin sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Well, I thought I was. But then he called me this morning and asked for a second chance. He really was a gentleman the part of the night we got to spend together. We had a lot in common. And he is a nice guy with his priorities straight. So, I think it's only right to give him another shot."

"Give who another shot?" they hear from the lab entrance.

Both girls turn around to find Barry and Cisco standing in confusion. At the sight of each other, both Caitlin and Barry begin to blush.

Caitlin, because she feels embarrassed about the amount she drank last night. Who knows what she told him in her inebriated state.

Barry, because, well, he actually knows what really happened.

Cisco is oblivious to the change in atmosphere and repeats his question. "Who is getting another shot?"

Reese crosses her arms and tries her hardest to keep her emotions in check.

"Asher. She's giving Asher a second chance because he had to leave during their date," she says, unable to keep a slight edge from seeping into her tone.

Barry's heart drops to the floor, but he has to remember that this is a good thing. Caitlin deserves to be happy, just like he will be once he gets Iris to finally see the truth.

This is good.

' _If it's really such a good thing, you wouldn't have to keep reminding yourself that it is'_ the voice in his head mutters sarcastically.

Feigning a smile and ignoring that little voice, he pats Caitlin on the shoulder. "Good for you, Cait. I hope you…find what you're looking for," he concludes. But even he hears the monotony in his tone and knows he has to get over this infatuation. He has to forget about everything that happened last night. Put it in the past and move sooner Reese can help him with Iris, the better. This is the way it's supposed to be.

Caitlin fakes a smile and tries to push the ripple of disappointment back towards the confines of her heart. Barry does not feel the same. He is in love with someone else and the more time she spends with Asher, the sooner she will get over this fact. This is the way it's supposed to be.

Reese is about ready to rip her hair out and stomp all over the place. No matter what she tries to do, it always seems to backfire and make matters worse. Barry is possibly the most clueless person on earth who refuses to listen to his own heart and open his eyes. Caitlin is too afraid to take a chance and put her heart on the line. And now they are drifting farther and farther away from one another. This is definitely NOT the way it's supposed to be.

But right now she can't dwell on these thoughts because Cisco is staring her down. She meets his eye and immediately becomes uncomfortable with the tenacity in which he is focusing on her. It's actually kind of freaking her out…

"Reese, can I show you something really fast?" he asks casually.

She considers saying no, but before she can open her mouth, he grabs her elbow and begins towing her out of the room.

Caitlin considers asking Barry about last night now that they are alone, but decides against it. She makes a promise to herself that she will never ask about what happened last night. Although, she does have a very strong feeling that he's the one who took her home since she woke up in her own bed with no clue to how she got there. Nevertheless, that's all in the past. She needs to forget about it. It's time to move on.

* * *

"Umm…Cisco? You know I love surprises and all, but why are you taking me to the basement? And why do I feel like I'm in trouble?" Reese asks as they descend the steps to the lowest level of STAR labs.

Cisco shoots her a look and continues walking.

"When I was down here earlier today, I was looking through the footage from the cortex to see if I could figure out where I put the cord that goes with the electromagnetic composer. Do you want to know what I saw instead?"

Reese stares at him in bewilderment, still not sure what he's getting at.

"I'm guessing not your electromagnetic composer cord?"

She watches nervously as he begins pulling up surveillance footage from the cortex. Footage from yesterday to be exact.

He turns the laptop towards her. "No, I saw this," he says, pressing play.

Reese's heart begins beating wildly in her chest as she watches herself on camera from yesterday evening. Particularly the part where she takes Caitlin's phone and hides it behind her back. Then she watches herself "uncover" the phone later that evening and tell Barry to return it to Caitlin.

 _He knows. He knows what I've been doing. He's going to tell Barry and Caitlin and then I'll never be able to work this out!_

Cisco stops the footage and looks down at Reese. "So, what do you have to say?"

Reese scratches her head and, once again, wishes she had gone into the shelter earlier that day.

"I guess the camera really does add ten pounds, doesn't it?" she stutters.

Cisco frowns. "You know what I'm talking about. We both know you hid Caitlin's phone on purpose so Barry would take it back to her. But why are you doing this? We both know you're planning something. Spill or else I'll tell them right now that you've been messing with them".

She doesn't know whether it was the fact that this is the third time she's been hounded today or the realization that Cisco could be the one to ruin every effort she's made or just the plain observation that she's getting in trouble and she doesn't even _work_ here, but something makes Reese snap.

"You want to know what I've been doing, Cisco?! I've been trying to make your bullheaded friend realize that she's in love with your frustratingly clueless speedster! But the problem is that he thinks he's in love with another woman! Someone who he's been chasing after for _14 years!_ And he refuses to open his freaking eyes and see that the woman he truly loves _is standing right in front of him!_ For the past month, I've been trying to bring these two together and for some reason, they somehow find a way to make things _worse_ as well as make themselves even more unhappy! I don't have to do this, you know! I'm just trying to give them a better and happier life, but it's like they are _aspiring_ to make life harder for themselves! I'm not even in my 20's yet and I already have gray hairs because of them! Do you know how hard it is to see two soul mates, to see flashes of how their life could be if they were together, and to be in the same room as them as the _only person_ who knows the potential they have!? Do you know what that's like Cisco!? NO. NO! Because IM THE ONLY ONE WHO'S BEEN HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS! And do you want to know what's ironic about this whole thing!? One of these soul mates is faster than the speed of sound, BUT HE IS SLOWER THAN A GODDAM TURTLE WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE! Did you know that he asked me- no, _begged me_ to help him catch his "true love" and make her realize that _she's_ been in love with _him_ this entire time!? Do you SEE the irony in all of this!? DO YOU CISCO!?And since I'm already angry, can I just say that I HATED the series finale of How I Met Your Mother! I mean, I went through 9 seasons FOR THAT!? IT SUCKED ALMOST AS BAD AS THE ENDING FOR LOST!"

Reese finally stops yelling and begins breathing heavily. "Does…that answer your question?"

Cisco just gapes at her with an open mouth and slowly nods, scared that he'll make her explode again. "I…uhmm..sorry?"

After a minute of letting Reese catch her breath, he slowly treads on the subject once again. "So…would you mind telling me everything from the beginning?"

Reese nods and motions for him to sit down with her. She explains everything from beginning to end, not sparing any detail.

After it is all said and done, Reese turns to him, finally happy to not have to carry this burden alone. "Cisco, what am I going to do? How am I supposed to help Barry when I know it won't turn out the way he's hoping it will? It would crush him. And how am I supposed to bring him and Caitlin together? Every effort I've made has been in vain".

Cisco shakes his head. "I've seen the two of them act like a married couple for a long time. And I know Caitlin. She's in love with Barry, but she won't act on it unless she knows he feels the same way. So, odds are, we'll have to get Barry to make the first move. But, I've seen how he is with Iris. We're going to have to find a way to let him realize he doesn't love Iris like he think he does".

Reese puts her head in her hands. "He's been chasing after her for 14 years. Is it even possible at this point?"

Cisco nods. "It won't be easy, but I think it can happen. Barry has feelings for Caitlin; I know he does. Finding a way to bring them out is going to be the challenge".

* * *

 **SO, I know you guys want to kill me for this hahaha but I just had to do it because I still have a few tricks up my sleeve ;) Once again, I'm sorry for the late release but I really hope this long chapter was worth the wait :( I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because I'm going out of the state this wednesday (I hope I can get you the next chapter before I leave, but I have a lot of summer classes I need to finish up before I go so that is taking up 99.9% of my time right now) but I promise I won't make you guys wait longer than a week. I'm sorry but the real world is knocking-no, pounding on my door right now and all I want to do is just keep writing but alas, I have stuff I need to get done! Thank you for understanding and you all deserve bear hugs for reading this** **fic! Haha :D**


	12. Chapter 11

**Alright guys, this chapter kept being written and scratched, but I think I finally got it right. And don't worry, I'm committing to this story until the very end! I also just got back from out of state 2 days ago so I worked like a madman to get this** **finished and out to you as soon as possible! Please Enjoy :)**

 **Q &A:**

 **guest/anon- Hi again! haha 1) Thank you! I love the response! 2) I am actually thinking about writing another Barry and Caitlin fic that doesn't involve his powers or any metahuman craziness. I would love to just write about how they would be as "normal" people! So that's going to happen after this fic :)**

 **Guest- Hahaha perfect timing! I think you'll like this chapter ;)**

 **Flashfrost- Aww thanks! I really enjoy writing her character! Thank you! You are dopier! (idk if thats even a word but, yeah you are)**

 **AquiXia- Of course! Thank you for the feedback :) Hahaha yes yes yes! There was DEFINITELY some personal stuff that I threw into Reese's rant ;) I will! Thank you so much!**

 **Guest/Anonymous- Hahaha I'm sorry please don't kill me :) And yes, you definitely are right! Yes! Someone mentioned to me that they wanted to see Cisco more in the story so now you'll be able to see him get his hands dirty! Answers: That's a bit of a big reveal that you'll learn at the end, so stay tuned for that! I must keep my lips sealed until it gets there because I don't want to ruin it for you (But, if you read the description to this story, it might hint a little as to why it seems like she is not using her power, but that's all I'm going to say!) :) thank you!**

 **Sharanya Sridhar- THANK YOU THANK YOU! :) Hearing that you think I should write a real novel flatters me to no end! I'm so judgmental of my own writing so to hear that you guys think I have that kind of literature ability is such a confidence boost! Thank you and I would squeeze you to death if I could :D**

 **Raquel- Hahahaha I think Reese should work at the CCPD too, but what would happen to her job at the shelter?! ;) HAHAHAHA YES BARRY IS SUCH AN IDIOT! I'm honestly just portraying the Barry we see on the show (who is also an idiot when it comes to this stuff). Yeah I had fun writing Reese's rant and you should definitely watch How I met your mother (sorry for ruining the ending though). Aww thanks for not wanting to kill me :) it means a lot hahaha. Thank you and cheers! I look forward to your next review :)**

 **wheresmymadmaninabox- Yasss I know right! He refuses to see how Eddie would feel if he stole Iris away from him. The poor guy just needs to STOP! Thank you and I hope you like this chapter! It was definitely a challenge :)**

 **Anon/Guest- I DONT KNOW WHY WE'RE SPEAKING IN CAPS BUT THANK YOU! HAHAHA**

 **Anonymous/Guest- Yay! You've gotta love the tension :) Hahaha oh I love putting in quotes from movies! Honestly just to see if anyone would catch them :) Thank you and God bless you too ! Thank you so much! There aren't nearly enough SB stories out there so I hope this is good enough!**

 **Guest (from breakfast at Tiffany's)- Hey again! Or should I say Marge? Haha okay 1) yay! I'm so glad you all like the new team up with Ciscorito and Reese's pieces! I love you too! Hahaha I think you'll LOVE the ending of this chapter (shhh) ;) 2) RIGHT! HIMYM was terrible in the finale! 3) No I haven't seen it yet! I'll have to showbox it haha. Right now I'm watching the Flash (obviously), the Blacklist (which I LOVE), and Stitchers (which is very promising).**

 **ArabianForest- HAHAH yes! WITH A BRICK! Or that sign thing too..haha that would hurt less. I'm sorry for the wait but here it is!**

 **Guest-In-A-Flash- Yup, and those two had so much potential for future episodes but nope, she just had to die! And the fact that he went after Robin AGAIN when the entire audience was over her like 2 seasons ago! I feel like he was able to actually move on in a good and clean way, and falling back to her just discredits the progress he made! Haha yes! Maybe a few head banging will jog someone's thinking process!**

 **snnowfrostt- Hola! I'm sorry for killing you hahaha Barry is a big ol' idiot, isn't he? Hahaha ohh that turtle metaphor :) It was a last minute add-on so I'm glad you liked it! Oh yeah, Reese and Cisco are going to have one heck of a time getting Barry and Caitlin together! Yeah HIMYM...*Sigh* so much greatness down the drain :( hahaha thank you and thanks for the reviews!**

 **Caskett93- hahaha yeah Reese was on point! Ooh I love the italian language! it's so beautiful :D hahaha please teach me more italian phrases, I love it! Hahaha oh that voice of reason is a great thing, isn't it? Thank you for the review and I send love from California!**

 **vcsb- Thank you! I might release the alternative ch 10 at the end, but I personally wasn't too crazy about it! I am definitely a lot more satisfied with the Ch 10 I released :) Hahaha Reese is a fun character, isn't she? She really lights up the story :) Oh gosh, I want Snowbarry action in season 2 so bad i literally cringe when I don't see it! The frustration eats me up! Thank you and I hope so! It's on its way, but not yet. I will definitely have to take your advice on that! I'll need something to motivate me for that! Yes, I completely understand! I haven't begun to write it yet, but I'll definitely keep that in mind! Thank you and Enjoy!**

 **SodapopLover4524- Thank you, I really appreciate that! I honestly feel so bad when I don't release a new chapter fast enough because I know how much it means to you but that made me feel SO much better! Thank you thank you thank you *Giant bear hug***

* * *

Ch 11

~Barry's POV~

"What's this?" I ask, looking down at the neon pink paper being pressed to my chest.

"It's a reminder not to forget about the black tie event coming up," Eddie says, placing a second sheet on top of my desk.

I glance at the paper and look up at Eddie with a frown. "Since when did the CCPD announce that we were hosting an event?"

Eddie gives me an exasperated look and shakes his head.

"You see, this is why I printed these papers out! Because I knew that people- and by 'people' I mean you, would forget about the charity dinner we've had planned for the past 5 months! Does that ring a bell?"

Umm, no.

He reads the confusion written all over my face and groans, "Come on, Allen. It's only been discussed at every single meeting!"

I furrow my eyebrows and try to recall an event being mentioned during the last few staff meetings we've had. I come up blank.

In my defense, those meetings are my only opportunity to get a nap in without captain Singh yelling at me. And Eddie knows this, too.

Sighing, he gives up on trying to make me remember something we both know I didn't listen to and points to a line on the sheet.

"It's on the 28th. Which, I'm assuming you know," he pauses to give me another pointed look, " is in two weeks. You and a possible guest are expected to be at the Central City Gala at 6:30pm and -"

"Why does it say 7 on the paper?" I interrupt, squinting at the small font.

He rolls his eyes. "Because it starts at 7 and, like I guessed you would forget about the event in the first place, I also guess you will show up late. As usual. That is why I'm telling you 6:30 so you might actually show up _on time._ And, like the name implies, it's a formal venue. So dress up and show up -"

" 'ready to impact the hearts and lives of those who need it most by giving deeply and generously to the foundations of our society' " I recite off the paper.

Is he serious?

I raise my eyebrows at Eddie. "Did you write this?"

He frowns at the amusement in my voice. "It's supposed to incentivize people to donate. And no, I didn't write it. Asher did. And unless you've got a better way to tell people to cough up some cash, I don't…".

It's funny, the way one word can pull you into a sea of memories you'd rather not revisit. But, like the sea, sometimes the wave of memories pulls you down into its depths and you can't do anything to stop it…

 _"_ _Who's getting another shot?" Cisco had asked._

 _Reese crossed her arms then. You could see the crease forming right above the bridge of her nose. She looked so much like Caitlin when she did that.._

 _"_ _Asher. She's giving Asher a second chance because he had to leave…"_

 _Why? I had wondered. Why is she allowing him to clear the slate when they've only just met? What does she owe him? Surely not more of her time._

 _Why is she even going out with him again when she practically told me she didn't have feelings for him?_

 _Because everything that occurred after his disappearance would not have taken place if she felt even a morsel of affection towards him._

 _No, she didn't tell me through a string of vocalized words that she had lost all initial interest in Asher. She told me through her eyes..her actions..the electricity bouncing back and forth between us, begging us to indulge in the heat behind its sparks._

 _Intoxicated or not, there was no question in my mind that she still harbored any trace of infatuation with my co-worker._

 _She had moved on from Asher in a heartbeat…but was I the one who unknowingly held the key that opened the gates to her heart?_

 _That is where the confusion came in and the possibility of a night with too much to drink was something that could not be ignored. She didn't have feelings for Asher, that I was sure of._

 _But I couldn't tell her I knew this fact without being forced to indulge that wonderful and torturously confusing night to her oblivious ears._

 _There was no way I could tell her the truth without dangling our close friendship on a thin wire with the threat of being cut. The risk of losing something I treasured so much outweighed the possibility of finding something we've both been trying so hard to get. Besides, I couldn't even think about what that night could have implied (her touching my hair, giving me compliments that far surpassed the boundaries of platonic flattery, asking me to stay the night) without his name reverberating through my mind._

 _Not Asher._

 _Ronnie._

 _The love of her life whose cards had not been dealt in his favor._

 _She still ached for him._

 _How could I even attempt to uproot her heart when it was planted so deeply in the man she called her fiancé; the man whom she planned to spend the rest of her life with._

 _No. I had no business trying to win over her heart._

 _Especially when my own was still held in the palm of a hand I have known for 14 years. I don't think I could get it back if I tried. At least not without exhausting every last resource I had in trying to reclaim hers. And there was one resource that had yet to be used. After 14 years, my glimmer of hope had come in the form of a young girl. I knew she was a gift from above who's powers would finally reward my strenuous efforts._

 _We all would do whatever it takes to find the happiness that was once lost._

 _So who was I to question the choices made by someone who had experienced the same heartbreaking loss I have come to recognize?_

 _"_ _Good for you, Cait," I heard myself say. Because it was good; Good that she would try to open her heart despite the wounds inflicted on the fragile thing._

 _"_ _I hope you…find what you're looking for" I had finished. Because even though it felt like I was battling a knot in my throat to say it, I truly did want her to find it. The happiness we're both striving to have._

"Barry".

The familiar tonality draws me out of the fresh memory from only 3 days ago.

3 days since Caitlin announced that she would continue to date Asher. I wonder if they've made any plans since then..

"Barry!" he yells beside me.

I look up at Eddie with a slightly apologetic expression.

"Sorry, Eddie. What were you saying?"

He looks at me quizzically. "I was asking if you think enough people will be encouraged to donate. Are you okay?"

I wave it off nonchalantly and toss the paper on my desk. "Don't worry, as long as there's enough champagne and those drawings that raffle off 'free' vacations, plenty of people will donate".

He nods and turns his head to study the stack of files on my desk, but I can still feel his attention trained on me.

"So..are you going to bring a plus one to the event?" he asks, trying to sound casual.

I scratch my head and try not to roll my eyes. We both know who he is referring to.

Eddie is aware of the embarrassing fact that the list of women I know is limited to about 3 people: Iris, Felicity, and Caitlin. Even more pathetic is the reality that I grew up with one of them and another is my doctor. Considering he's never met Felicity, I'm able to discern his intent behind the "plus one" sentiment.

"I don't know yet," I respond honestly.

He sighs and almost inconceivably shakes his head. "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to work then. Make sure you put the flyer somewhere you can see it so you don't forget again".

I nod as he begins walking away.

"Oh, and Barry," he says once he reaches the door, "when it says to dress up, that means a tuxedo and shoes other than converse. I love you like a brother, but if I see you wearing a sweater vest to the biggest event of the year, I won't hesitate to shoot you".

I chuckle as he leaves the lab and lean back in my chair. I'd like to see him try.

The snicker dies in my throat as I once again spot the neon paper on my desk. I sigh and pick it up, reading it once more.

I snort at the part Asher wrote trying to encourage guests to donate to the charity. He was probably completely serious when he wrote that line, too. It's like he was born with a halo glued to his freaking head.

I look at the enlarged text on the next line and rub the back of my neck.

March 28th.

Two weeks exactly.

I look up at the ceiling and groan.

"What am I going to do?"

* * *

~Reese's POV~

"You're killing me, Smokey" I say, looking down at the retriever puppy chewing on my shoe.

I stretch my fingers to grab it from his mouth, but he knows I'm about to steal his new favorite chew toy and takes off around the corner, sneaker in tow.

I sigh and stand up from my current position crouched on the ground.I hear the buzz of commotion coming from the front of the store along with the constant chiming of the entrance and rub my temples. It's been a busy day at the shelter and it doesn't help that we're also shorthanded. At this rate, I'll be here for at least another 4 hours.

Oh, well. At least I'll have more time to teach FiFi how to high five.

My stomach growls and I look at the time. 12:30pm.

Maybe I can get Cisco to drop me off something from Chioptle…

I take a moment to stretch my back until I hear a satisfying pop and then head towards the direction of my favorite black fur ball.

"Smokeeyy," I call, rounding the corner. "Where are you hiding you little monster?"

My eyes scan the room, but I can't spot the black puppy anywhere.

Then I hone in on the light shining in from the back door and my heart drops. Through the open doorway I can see the hectic flow of traffic that signals lunchtime and hear the whooshing of cars as they speed past the stoplights.

An unwelcome image of the confused 4 month old retriever running through traffic crosses my mind and my feet move on its own accord.

Adrenaline pulses through my body and my heart pounds in my eardrums as I barrel through the back door and into the street.

"SMOKEY!" I yell, voice filled with panic. My head whips from side to side as my eyes desperately search for the small animal.

Where could he be!?

Who left the back door open in the first place!?

"SMOKEY! SMOKEY!" I yell again, a lump now forming in my throat. My vision becomes blurry with tears as I spot the passing cars and think the worst.

Please, please let him be okay, I mentally pray.

My hands begin to shake and to say I was scared would be the understatement of the century.

Luckily, my prayers are answered when I hear a voice behind me.

"Is this your dog?" says a female voice.

I whirl around and my heart soars at the sight of a woman walking towards me, holding the puppy that put me on the brink of an anxiety attack.

I must have been an interesting sight to the woman; a completely distraught girl running towards them with tears in her eyes and one shoe missing.

My other shoe is still in Smokey's mouth and the sight of it would have made me laugh had I not been so terrified.

That thought was the furthest from my mind, however, as I reach the stranger and gratitude tumbles from my lips.

"Thank you, thank you so much! I was going out of my mind looking for him" I say, while enveloping Smokey in my arms.

She gives me a smile and brushes the strawberry blonde locks off her shoulder.

"You're welcome, and I completely understand. I have a dog at home, so I wouldn't know what to do if I ever lost him".

I give her a grateful smile and hug the wriggling puppy to my chest. "Well, thank you again! I really hope he didn't cause you too much trouble".

She shakes her head with a smile. "Not at all. I'm happy to help".

I nod and begin turning away, but am stopped by her hand on my shoulder.

"Excuse me," she says, "I couldn't help but notice your STAR labs shirt. Do you work there?" she asks with a hint of excitement.

I look down at the shirt adorning my body and purse my lips.

"Well, I don't work there as in get payed money per se…but I do go there so often they might as well give me a paycheck" I chuckle.

The woman looks disappointed for a moment, then laughs along awkwardly. "Oh, so you're more of an honorary member then".

I nod contemplatively, then give her a smile. "Yeah, pretty much! But I do work at the animal shelter. It's that building right there" I say, pointing to the structure only a few yards away. "I can give you a discount if you're looking to adopt another animal".

Her eyes follow my finger and she nods. "Actually, I have been thinking about getting a second dog. Maybe I'll visit your shelter one day. What's your name?"

"Reese," I announce, extending my hand. "What's yours?"

She gives me a tight smile.

"Stephanie," she responds, shaking my outstretched hand. A deep shiver runs through my arm and up the back of my neck when our hands make contact. I really should put a jacket on in this weather.

"Well, Stephanie, if you want I can give you the number for the shelter if you ever want to call and ask about our additions".

She pulls her phone out of her pocket and types in the number. "Thanks. I might just have to stop by and see if there's a dog I want to adopt." she replies.

"Anytime! And thank you again for saving this little troublemaker," I praise as I try once more to release my shoe from his mouth.

We begin walking our separate ways, but something on the ground catches my attention.

"Oh, wait. I think you dropped your driver's license," I say as I bend down to pick it up.

Huh, that's weird.

"Oh, thanks!" she says quickly, snatching it from my hand and stuffing it in her pocket.

I watch curiously as she hastily turns away and starts snaking through the crowd.

Stephanie soon disappears in the mesh of people and the dog in my arms whimpers for my attention.

I look down at the puppy and shake my head. "You are in big trouble, Smokey. No treats for you today," I say sternly as I make my way back towards the shelter. Not like he can understand me.

* * *

My mind is preoccupied the rest of the day with helping customers, feeding the animals, and giving them baths. However, no matter what I was doing, my thoughts kept drifting back to the events that occurred earlier today.

"Today's been an interesting day, Copper" I reminisce as I begin shampooing the little hound dog.

"I almost lost your friend Smokey, and I met the strangest lady too. She said she wants another dog, so you might have a new home if she picks you. Wouldn't that be nice?" I ask, eyeing the soap covered dog.

"I just keep wondering, Copps," I continue, "Why would she lie to me about her name? She told me her name was Stephanie. I know I wasn't mistaken." I add, pausing to rinse off the shampoo.

I squirt a handful of conditioner in my hands and begin lathering him once more.

"But that's not the name that was on her driver's license when I picked it up. And by the way she took it out of my hands, you'd think it had a disease on it- don't you dare!" I scold, but it's too late.

Copper shakes vigorously, splaying water and soap all over me. I sigh and look down at my soaked shirt.

He begins wagging his tail and I frown at his merriment. "I don't know what you're so happy about. You're just going to have to be conditioned all over again".

I squeeze a small amount of conditioner in my hands, ignoring the strange tingling in the hand I used to shake "Stephanie's", and start to re-lather Copper.

"As I was saying, I don't understand why she suddenly began acting so strange. Like she didn't want me to see her real name. I mean, I know some people hate the name their parents give them, but hers was a really pretty name. Much prettier than the name Stephanie, if you ask me".

I rinse the soap off the little floppy-eared dog and grab the towel.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just being nosy, but I still think Hannah is a name I wouldn't try to hide".

I rub the russet-colored dog down with the towel and wrap him up in my arms.

"Hannah Baile Bates," I muse.

"It kind of has a nice ring to it, don't you think Copper?"

He barks in consent and I smile.

* * *

 **Bum, Bum, BUUUMMM! Hahah please tell me you guys know who I'm referring to when I say "Hannah Bates". I wanted her to be female for how she is going to be used in future chapters. I hope that got you guys excited for what's to come as well! Also, I hope you liked the part where I wrote about everything that went through Barry's mind when he heard about Caitlin and Asher going out again! That part was VERY difficult to write and I hope it made sense! :)**

 ****Oh yeah, and I was wondering if anyone can help me find a fic: It's about Barry, but he doesn't have any superpowers and he's actually helping the group work on the particle accelerator. He meets Caitlin and leaves sticky notes on her coffee and they soon become good friends. He begins to fall for her but he knows that she's supposed to be with Ronnie. Then later, Ronnie joins the team and he tries to help Caitlin fall for Ronnie because he knows that's how it's supposed to be. Pretty much she and Barry begin to fall in love with one another but neither will admit it and Caitlin even asks him about what guys like in bed (referring to Ronnie) and eventually she and Ronnie break up because she's been in love with Barry and they both finally admit it! *****

 **If someone knows the name of this story, please let me know! It's one of my absolute favorites but I can't find it!**


	13. Chapter 12

**So I wasn't sure how to start Ch. 12, but I am LOVING the way it turned out :) I really hope you guys do too!**

 **Q &A:**

 **Spitfire303- Thank you and I completely agree! We really need to support other potential writers :) A lot of people are afraid to write because they won't be that good, but you'd be surprised!**

 **Guest- Hi Kajamba :) Such an interesting name! I love it. Thanks and you'll see that she's already causing some trouble in this chapter :) Aww, I just understand how it feels to read a story and then the author just stops! It's like AAAHHH! haha**

 **Caskett93- Thanks and yes, I found the chapter thanks to you guys! I really appreciate it :)**

 **Lina- Hahaha yeah Hannah will be causing all sorts of trouble :) Hahaha yay! You won't kill me! That story is just amazing isn't it? I love that author!Thanks for the support!**

 **Raquel- Hahaha oh I love your dramatic writing! Thank you and I did :) I hope you feel better! Hahaha don't you just love Eddie? It's impossible to hate the guy! I know, I was pissed when he died! I think a vasectomy would be a lot less dramatic. YES WATCH HIMYM! The finale sucks but if you're prepared for that, then it's really a fantastic show**

 **Awesomeness2502- It's called "Knowing the Flows of Time" and it really is beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking! I loved it! Thanks for the continuous support! You guys are too sweet**

 **ArabianForest- hahaha oops...sorry :) Fret not, here it is and it's another long one!**

 **Sharanya Sridhar- AAH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU (X500)! That has to be one of the sweetest compliments I've ever heard! Does wattpad have a Flash community?**

 **Guest/Anon- HI BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S GIRL! HAAHA or Marge 1) The idea of Hannah Bates just kind of came to me haha and I knew it would be fun to write! 2)The Blacklist is AMAZING! But yeah, I'm on the same boat with the whole work and studying thing! Stitchers is pretty good :) It's on ABC family 3)Hercules is such a great movie for any age! Those goddesses have great voices. It really gets you into the whole greek mythology thing!**

 **Anon/Guest- SNOWBARRY NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN SEASON 2 OR ELSE I'LL DIE! Haha not really but I'll be really sad if they cut out potential SB moments! I really really really hope Patty is not a character that stays as a love interest for long. Hahahaha keep the guesses coming about Hannah, I love it! Thanks for the support :)**

 **df7t- It's called "Knowing the Flows of Time" and it's a great fic! Aww I love you too :D Thank you so much! You're a sweetheart and I really appreciate all the kind words!**

 **deliriouz2468- I read yellow post it notes and that is such a great story!**

 **wheresmymadmaninanbox- Hahaha oh, you'll definitely see hannah more often ;) Hahaha yeah, Reese loves her animals! Barry is just a stupid head that doesn't understand anything about himself or his emotions -_- Just like in the show! Hahaha oh, I'm sure there will be some shouting coming up later on! Until next time :)**

 **Emanuela- Ahh! Thank you! I don't have a Beta reader or anything like that so I hope my writing is up to par :) Hahahaha wow! 2 hours is a lot! And the fact that it's for my story is so touching! Thank you so much and I hope you like this chapter!**

 **snnowfrostt- Hahaha it's okay, I found it! Haha yeah, I want to progress the relationship and feelings between Barry and Cait, not just spring it on without some type of build up! There's definitely an uphill battle going on here :) Hahha yes, for the better...eventually ;) Hahahah you are so good at foreshadowing what's going to happen! With every chapter you are usually on point! Hahaha great minds think alike I guess ;) :) Hahah no I've never seen prison break! I actually started watching Orange is the New Black because so many people talk about it and It is really funny but really dirty at the same time! It's a good show,though :)**

 **Flash Frost- Hahahah sorrry for the wait, here is the next chapter though! It's long so I hope that makes up for my tardiness! There will be a plethora of Barry and Cait as it reaches the climax, but the train is definitely chugging! Oh, Hannah will have her time in the spotlight in the near** **future, so stay tuned :) Hahaha no thank you for reading this story! I love the support!**

 **raventwilight123- THANK YOU! You were the first one to tell me the name of the story I was looking for and I found it and I read it and it's just amazing! Hahaha thank you for the quick response! :)**

 **SnowBarryFitzSimmons- Don't worry, I'm with this story until the end! I promise I won't leave it hanging :) Yellow Post it Notes is a great story! I think by the same author as the story I was looking for! Thanks for the support :)**

* * *

Ch 12

~Caitlin's POV~

 _My ears alternate between pounding and throbbing. The music; it's too loud._

 _Where am I?_

 _His face is blurring in and out of focus, making it hard to concentrate. From what I can distinguish, he looks mad._

 _No..maybe that's too strong of a word. More like.._

 _"_ _Barry Allen, are you jealous?" I question._

 _I feel my face break out into a smile and watch his expression change from that of envy to one resembling a deer in the headlights._

 _"_ _No," he argues defensively._

 _Yup, he's jealous alright._

 _"_ _That's not the point! You're not in a state to be doing this stuff. You need to go home" he concludes._

 _What stuff is he talking about?_

 _This confusion reminds me of the many times I would change the TV channel and catch a show right in the middle of the plot line. You don't know what's going on or how events led to this point, but all you can do is try to reach the end while gathering pieces of the story along the way._

 _I try to remember what occurred before this moment, but my mind hits a brick wall and, suddenly, I'm in another setting._

 _The music is gone along with the ringing in my ears, replaced by a serene atmosphere._

 _My mind feels heavy and from what I can make sense of, we're in my apartment._

 _"_ _Barry?" I ask gently, looking up at him from the mirror, "can you help me?"_

 _My voice sounds strange, almost foreign. My ears feel like they're underwater._

 _I fight the haziness pushing its way in and watch the way Barry silently moves behind me. My eyes stay trained on him as he delicately wraps his fingers around my hair and slowly sweeps the auburn locks over one shoulder._

 _His knuckles brush over my clavicle, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake._

 _Then his fingers return to the base of my neck as they unclasp the necklace adorning my body and drag it forward, sending sparks to every nerve cell._

 _I fight the urge to close my eyes at the contact and release a small sigh._

 _The tips of my fingers skim his as I enclose the piece of jewelry in my hand and it's not until emerald orbs collide with my caramel gaze that I realize I've been staring at his reflection this entire time._

 _But I realize it now, and the second his eyes meet mine, everything around me begins to shift on its axis._

 _The emotion hidden beneath his eyes is something too strong to look away from. The feeling it creates in my soul is one that would be cruel to withhold._

 _I feel peacefully relaxed and overwhelmingly anxious all at once; breathtakingly scared and blindingly confident. A plethora of adverbs wrapped up in one confusing yet simple paradox, all leaving one resounding perception: wholeness._

* * *

 ***BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEEEEPPP***

The sound startles me awake as I am harshly ripped out of my dream and thrown into the real world. It's been quite a while since a kiss or gentle word woke me from my slumber. I've grown all too accustomed to the familiar beeping that has been my only condolence since the days of those distant memories.

My hand fumbles for the alarm and once I feel the metal object, I viciously slam the palm of my hand down repeatedly until the blaring ceases.

That stupid alarm has sapped every wisp of the peaceful ambience that settled in the room, and all I want to do is throw the covers over my head and forget about the troubles waiting outside my door.

Maybe revisit the dreams that have recently orbited around the central theme of Barry Allen and pretend they are real.

Because they feel so undeniably real; the emotions they elicit so painfully genuine, that I just want to slip back into fantasies that seem more like memories and allow my thoughts, uninhibited by ethical restraint or consideration for others, to explore the depths of my deepest desires.

Oh, the dreams you can dream as long as they remain unchecked by reason, I think to myself as I fling my arms over my head and knot my fingers together.

Because reason would tell me that I should be moving on from Barry. Then it would sternly remind me that he belongs to Iris.

But in my dreams, he realizes that his hope for Iris has long since eluded him. He discovers the unrestrained power of letting her go and moving on to new dreams that have not disintegrated in his grasp.

Reason would also point out that he is incapable of seeing me past the pretenses of a polished, professional doctor and loyal friend.

My dreams tell a different story, however, as he no longer appraises me with amicable eyes, but rather with the lust and passion of a man practically bursting with want. Just last week a dream like this transpired...

Barry had taken me home like the gentleman he is. Even in my dreams, he is a gentleman through and through. He helped me take off my dress, but the way his hands brushed against my body, he was definitely savoring the moment. Then I watched as he sucked in a small gasp and his eyes darkened as they trailed over me in a way I never thought they could. I saw the desire and lust that I never could imagine being correlated with me in real life. The sensation that buzzed through me when his eyes met mine and I saw the raw hunger embedded in his enlarged orbs almost sent me over the edge. That delusion was so vivid, I woke up nearly clawing the sheets and blushing madly.

My fantasies even try to conjure up the possibility of a platonic love with various scenarios of us together despite the fact that Iris and Asher are still in the picture.

But reason is once again sovereign as it emphasizes the notion that platonic love is nothing more than an inactive volcano.

Even my dreams could not argue with that sentiment: A few nights ago Barry once again played an active role in my nightly illusions, staying the night and holding me close like he was shielding me from the outside world. I swear I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body and breath on my neck; hear the strong and sure beat of his heart underneath my ear. I woke up that night elated, only to come crashing down with the realization that apart from the pillow beside me, I was completely alone in a cold and empty bed.

No, platonic love is not a possibility. Real emotions take over too quickly.

My hands had lingered near his skin longer than usual that day as I was checking over his cuts and bruises. I just wanted to bask in the heat coming from his body; brush my fingers over his chest to feel the pulsing heartbeat that sounded so real in the beautiful nightmare I call a dream.

The recurring dreams of Barry over the past week or so have become more and more lucid. Sometimes I'm almost convinced that they really happened. There's no way a dream could elicit such strong emotions without having at least some semblance of validity to it.

But every time that thought crosses my mind, surprise surprise, reason makes her appearance and forces me to think logically: I ate something strange for dinner. They're just symptoms from moving on. I want these dreams to happen so badly that I'm inclined to attach emotional feelings in order to make them more authentic.

This morning I have an overwhelming desire, an unquenchable need for these fantasies to be true. The way these dreams toy with my emotions make it that much more painful to discern them as a false reality. Sometimes I just want to pretend like they aren't.

Reason be damned.

I shut my eyes and try to remember the fading sense of wholeness that I was able to capture in my dream before being so rudely awakened by the alarm.

* * *

~Cisco's POV~

Why isn't Caitlin picking up her phone!?

And where the hell is Barry!?

I pace back and forth across the cortex so fast I'm probably creating a draft.

This is bad. This is really, really bad.

Should I just bite the bullet and tell Dr. Wells?

He would kill me. I know he would kill me. The first time this happened, he was furious. I was careful after that, always making sure it was locked up and keeping the key next to me at all times.

But the one time, _one time_ I forget the key on my desk and this happens.

This isn't completely my fault because, who would have guessed this could happen?

But I created it in the first place so whatever damage is done with it, I am partly to blame.

How could she do this?

A part of me feels betrayed, but I can't focus on that right now. There are bigger issues that need to be addressed.

And telling Dr. Wells is one of them.

"Why does this always happen to me?" I ask myself, pausing to press my head against the wall.

"Well, Cisco, I'm not an expert on karma, but I do believe the proclamation that 'everything happens for a reason' " he says with a joking sparkle in his eye.

I feel like David as my heart drops and my stomach turns as I quickly turn around to face Goliath.

He sees the worry and fear etched across my face and his smile disappears.

"Cisco, what's wrong?" he demands, more in an assertive statement than an actual question.

Well, it's now or never.

"Dr. Wells," I begin nervously, my lips feeling dry, "we have a problem".

He motions for me to continue, but my mouth fails me and I have to keep swallowing back the lump in my throat.

"Cisco, just tell me. I'm sure whatever the problem is, we can figure it out," he says impatiently.

I take a deep breath and then it happens.

Word vomit.

"I was so tired yesterday, Dr. Wells. I completely forgot about it. This morning I came in and it wasn't in the same spot so I went down to the weapons locker and the door was open and I know I always keep it locked, but then I remembered that it wasn't in the same spot that I left it yesterday, you know what I mean?" I begin pacing again as I continue, " So then I panicked because I just installed a new security system so only someone with access would be able to even get inside STAR labs after dark. So only someone with access would have been able to move it from my desk and open the weapons locker, you know what I mean? And the weapons locker was open so someone with access would be the only one to go in there. And I went in the locker and I looked around and Dr. Wells, IT'S MISSING! IT'S GONE! And so I freaked out even more and I looked at the security footage and you were right Dr. Wells! You were right from the beginning and we should have listened to you but we thought we were doing the right thing! I'm so sorry Dr. Wells, I know you're furious, but I promise you I'm going to do whatever it takes to get it back and I promise that we'll listen to you completely from here on out because you were right! We were completely fooled and I'm sorry!"

I flop down in the chair by the computers and take another breath.

I cringe as Dr. Wells begins to speak. Here it comes, I think.

The explosion.

"Cisco.." he says carefully, "I don't understand what exactly is going on or what you are talking about, but I just want you to know that Tourette syndrome is a common disorder and if you need to talk to Caitlin about medications or psychological treatments, you can take all the time you need off of work in order to -"

"What!?" I proclaim. I was crystal clear when I described what happened.

"I don't have Tourettes! Or any psychological disorder!" I exclaim.

Dr. Wells pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Then what in God's name are you talking about?" he questions with exasperation.

"This!" I say, throwing my hands up and playing the security footage.

I swallow nervously and try to gauge his expression as he watches the footage, but he is a master of his trade, keeping a complete poker face the entire time.

He remains quiet as I stop the clip and knot my fingers together anxiously.

"You've checked the entire building and you're sure it's missing?" he asks quietly.

I nod my head. "I've looked everywhere. It's nowhere to be found".

Dr. Wells sighs and removes his glasses. "Get the rest of the team down here, now. We've got a problem".

* * *

~Reese's POV~

"Here you go, Reese's pieces," Iris says sweetly as she hands me the blueberry muffin.

"Thanks," I smile and reach into my pocket to hand her the money, but she waves me off.

"Don't worry about it. But when you get back to STAR labs, tell Barry he owes me a lunch date. He ditched me last time," she says with a laugh.

Hmm…that's interesting.

"Yeah, sure thing!" I say, knowing full well that it will 'slip my mind' later on.

Sorry, Iris. But you can't be dating Eddie and stringing Barry along at the same time, I think to myself.

I walk outside of Jitters and pull my trench coat closer to my body. This warm muffin is perfect for a cold and overcast day. My stomach grumbles in assent.

I peel back the wrapping as I begin walking down the street, allowing the delicious smell to waft into my nostrils.

My stomach growls again and I lick my lips, opening my mouth to take the first bite..

Without warning, everything around me blurs and the wind is knocked out of my body.

I struggle to inhale oxygen as I look for the source of the problem.

I relax when I spot the green eyes and tousled brown hair I have come to recognize as Barry Allen. Then the slight irritation sets in and I yell over the whooshing wind, "You know, a phone call or text is another great way to get ahold of me without scaring me half to death!"

He doesn't respond and only then do I notice the way his mouth is set in a firm line and his eyes remain hard, refusing to meet mine.

Before I can ask him what's wrong, the whooshing and outside noise ceases and we've stopped moving.

I rub my eyes and begin walking forward. "I don't understand why you always feel the need to carry me places when I'm perfectly capable of-"

 ***BANG***

I'm thrown backwards onto the floor and the corner of my forehead suddenly begins to throb.

What did I just hit?

I press my hand against my forehead as I look around, finally noticing that I'm in an octagon-shaped metal chamber. And it's not very big.

The scuff mark on the wall informs me that my head has already met the glass door in front of me.

"Hey, what's all this about? Why am I in here?" I ask, looking at the STAR labs team on the other side of the glass.

Caitlin has her hands on her hips and is looking at me like a disappointed mother. Cisco and Barry both have their arms crossed and look like a mix between mad, hurt, and worried. Dr. Wells is just staring daggers at me.

What the heck?

"Just tell us where it is, Reese. Don't make this harder on yourself," says Cisco.

"I don't even know what you're talking about. Can you let me out of here now?" I ask with a hint of annoyance.

"Reese," Caitlin sighs, "we saw you on the footage. You can't lie to us anymore. A lot of people could get hurt if you don't tell us where you hid it".

The way they are all looking at me. Like I'm some lying thief.

"Caitlin, I DON'T KNOW what you're talking about! I'm not lying or hiding anything, so can you let me out now?" I say, my annoyance becoming more apparent.

"So you're saying you 'don't know' where Golden Glider's gun is?" Dr. Wells asks, every syllable brimming with disbelief and sarcasm.

I throw my arms up in exasperation. "Who the heck is Golden Glider!?"

"Answer the question," he counters, refusing to answer mine.

I feel like I'm being interrogated and deemed guilty for something I didn't even do.

Now my patience is wearing thin.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "No, I don't know where the gun is. I don't know what it does or why you think I took it, and I don't even know who Golden Glider is!"

"Cisco," Dr. Wells says, eyes not leaving mine, "show her the footage. Maybe once she realizes she's been caught, she'll start singing a different tune".

I bare my teeth at him.

"I doubt it," I grind out.

Betrayal is inscribed all over Cisco's face as he walks to the glass door and presses play on the laptop in his hands.

I watch the security footage begin to roll and furrow my eyebrows when I see myself appear on screen. I tilt my head as I watch myself, or someone who looks like me, wander around the cortex before spotting a key on the computer desk. My lookalike then grabs it and begins heading out towards the hallway. The footage cuts to the empty weapons locker and,after a few seconds, my silhouette appears in the doorway. I watch in disbelief as my carbon copy unlocks the locker and steps inside. A minute or two later, she appears again with a black case in hand and a smirk on her face. She then strolls out of the lab and the footage ends..

Framed.

That's the only word bouncing around my mind.

I'm being framed!

"Now that you saw the incriminating evidence, what do you have to say for yourself?" Dr. Wells pipes up.

I look up at them. Can't they see I'm being framed?

"It's not me," I say simply.

Dr. Wells has the audacity to chuckle and I automatically glare at him.

"So now you're saying that's not you? Forgive me, apart from your deceased sister, do you have an identical twin?"

My fists clench and I give Dr. Wells the dirtiest stare I can muster. "I know that girl _looks_ like me, but that's _not me!_ I wasn't even here last night! She's framing me."

Cisco shakes his head. "There's only one way you can get into STAR Labs at night. And that's with the access system I personally installed-"

"Well, maybe she found out my access code and- "

"Reese, it scans your thumbprint and pupil. Those are unique traits that no one else in the entire world has. The _only_ person that could have accessed the lab is you," he says quietly.

I throw my arms out. "Search me, then. Check my house, check the shelter, check anything you want! You won't find a gun. Why would I have any use for that thing in the first place? I don't even know what it does!"

"The gun shoots super compressed molten gold that freezes and critically injures or kills anyone it touches," Caitlin says, "that's why we need to put it back where it belongs.. before anyone gets hurt".

Barry speaks up for the first time, "I've already checked all the places it could be. And I couldn't find it," he mumbles.

"Because I don't have it! Now can you guys please let me out so we can figure out who really took the gun and straighten this mess out?" I plead.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere," Dr. Wells says sternly.

And with that statement, my patience is completely gone.

"WHY NOT!" I demand.

"We really want to believe you, Reese-" Caitlin begins.

"-but we can't let you out of there until we know for sure that you're telling the truth" Cisco finishes.

"And where exactly is 'there'?! What am I in?" I exclaim.

Dr. Wells moves closer to the glass and I can almost swear he's gloating.

"You're in the pipeline of the particle accelerator".

I freeze at his words and meet everyone's gaze, horror imprinted in my expression.

Caitlin, Cisco, and especially Barry, have the decency to look away.

"You _put me_ in the thing that KILLED MY SISTER!? HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MINDS!?" I yell at them, pounding on the glass.

"Unless there is reasonable doubt that you stole Golden Glider's gun, then there's no other option," Wells says, feigning sympathy.

I know without 'doubt' that he's the one who suggested putting me in here.

"GIVE ME A POLYGRAPH! AN EKG! LOOK THROUGH EVERYTHING AGAIN! JUST DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE!" I yell, my voice becoming desperate.

It took me months after Rilee's death to shake off the night terrors that constantly plagued me. To lock me in the thing that's been responsible for keeping me awake at night? No one would be that cruel.

The desperation is mirrored in Caitlin's eyes as she turns to Dr. Wells. "Maybe we can just keep her in the treadmill room until we figure this out. Her ability really isn't one that needs to be contained to such an extreme length".

"Not until she tells us where the gun is," Dr. Wells says sharply.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I scream at him, turning to the other three, "You HAVE to believe me!" I pound on the glass as tears begin to blur my vision.

The pain on their faces as they regard me is evident. They want to help. They just don't know how.

Barry's shoulders are pushed back and he's leaning forward, practically dying to take me out of this thing. But with Dr. Wells here, I know that won't happen.

"Maybe watch the video just one more time, Reese," Cisco tries to help, "you might be able to spot something out of the ordinary that could help us find out what's going on".

I nod hopelessly and wipe my eyes as he brings the laptop to the glass and replays the surveillance video.

Nothing, I think miserably as I watch myself on tape.

I don't see anything that could clear me of these accusations. I'm wearing the same STAR labs shirt, my hair's in the same style, you can see the stain on my sleeve from spilling hot chocolate.

It looks like me inside and out.

Right down to the missing shoe on my left foot..

A jolt runs through me and suddenly I'm pressing my face to the glass.

THE MISSING SHOE!

"That's it! I knew I was innocent! It all makes sense now!" I declare, pushing my entire body up against the glass door.

A spark of hope electrifies the trio as they wait for me to explain.

"Look at my left foot! Do you see that?"

Everyone looks closely at the grainy footage.

"Your shoe is missing," Barry states.

"YES! Exactly! Yesterday I did lose my shoe, but only for a few minutes".

I recount what happened at the shelter yesterday afternoon with Smokey and the strange lady that found him.

"She seemed intrigued about the fact that I came to STAR labs often and on top of that, when she shook my hand, I felt this weird tingling and my whole body shivered. At the time, I didn't think anything of it, but what if she's a metahuman too?" I suggest excitedly.

Cisco begins typing like crazy on his laptop. "What was her name?"

I cross my arms and begin to smile. This finally makes sense!

"She lied to me! She said her name was Stephanie, but she dropped her license and I saw her real name. It's Hannah Baile Bates," I recite.

"Guys, check this out!" Cisco calls. "Hannah Bates has a minor record of store theft and disorderly conduct. But listen to this: Jonathan Bates is serving a 23 month term at Iron Heights for stealing over $250,000 worth of jewelry. He was caught on camera committing the act, but claims he is innocent and was framed by his wife, Hannah Bates!"

"So Hannah Bates is a shapeshifter then," Dr. Wells muses.

"I TOLD YOU I WAS INNOCENT!" I howl at them.

I hear a hissing noise, then watch as the glass door begins opening.

Caitlin rushes forward and envelops me in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Reese! We should have believed you".

You think?

Now that I'm free, the idea that they were actually going to lock me in there resurfaces and I frown deeply at them.

Now it's my turn to feel betrayed, hurt, and disappointed. I take a breath and shake my head.

"You know, not every metahuman is bad and out to manipulate their abilities,"

I look at Barry, "I thought you of all people would understand that. I told you everything about my life, I didn't give you any reason to doubt me. I put my trust and faith in you, and today you failed me".

I turn my head to Cisco and sigh, "You know more about my goals and ambitions than anybody. Why didn't you stop and wonder why I would do something that evil and dangerous? You know that's not the person I am. I've always admired the way you so strongly and concretely believe in things that seem farfetched or unrealistic. But despite that, you didn't believe me when I told you something that seemed just as impractical" .

I bite my lip and look at Catilin, "You understand the feeling of loss and pain just as acutely as I do. You knew the circumstances of my sister's death. You probably guessed, or have even experienced, the trauma that night caused. Why you would stand by while they put me in that nightmare of a cage is beyond me".

I stand a little taller and look at all three of them, "I thought you guys were my friends. But friends don't put the noose around their other friend's neck. They fight and fight to prove their friend is innocent despite the evidence".

Finally, I address to Dr. Wells.

"I know how disappointed you are to learn that I'm not in fact who you thought I was. I'm aware that you've been itching to put me in the pipeline since the minute you met me, even before. But I thought by now you might have changed your mind even slightly. I expect nothing from you, Dr. Wells, and I'm still let down".

I cross my arms and run my hand through my hair.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not mad at any of you. Really, I'm not. I guess you could say I'm just…disappointed," I finish.

I take one more deep breath.

"Now if you'll excuse me," I announce, walking past them and towards the entrance, "I'd like to enjoy what's left of my birthday _alone_ ".

Okay, I guess that last part was a bit of poorly concealed annoyance.

But it's my birthday; I can whine if I want to.

* * *

 **So, there are a few major developments/reveals in this chapter: 1) Caitlin begins having dreams of that night! This can lead to some interesting things ;) 2) Hannah Bates has been busy, so we'll see what she's up to later on but I promise, she's going to make another appearance ;) 3) We see Reese in a different way. She's not a happy go lucky young girl right now. She's hurt that people she looked up to would accuse her of such heavy crimes! Yeah, the end is a little sad! Haha keep up the wonderful reviews my friends :) I want to pinch every single one of your cheeks!**


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